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THIRTY-SIX SERMONS 
fy FOR FESTIVALS BY -) 
JOHN TAULER 
FRIAR-PREACHER CF 
STRASBURG 


A NEW TRANSLATION 
FROM THE GERMAN 
EDITED WITH AN 
INTRODUCTION BY 
ARTHUR WOLLASTON 


Ragga 


R OF EASTHOPE, SALOP 


NEW — 


I.+ St Andrew. 


IV.+ 
V.t 


VI-t 


VII. Candlemas. Ecce ego mitto angelum meum, etc. 


VIIL+ 


IX.t Annunciation of the B.V.M. Ave, ee 


X.4 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 


Scope of the Present Publication 
Some Notes on Tauler’s Life 


Some Notes on Tauler’s Teaching . 


Tauler and Mysticism 


The Versions of Tauler’s Sermons . 


SERMONS 


me, etc. 


St Stephen or St eaewencs, Nisi granum 


frumenti, etc. 


St John Evangelist. Hic est discipulus 
ille, etc. [This Sermon is by Eckhart. ] 


St Agnes. Virgo cogitat, etc. 
St Agatha. Regnum mundi, etc. 


plena, etc. 


Nativity of St John Baptist, L Fig 


est nomen ejus 


* Printed in the original edition, 1498. 


t First printed in the Basle edition, 1521. 
} First printed in the Cologne edition, 1543. 


r 625588 


Rabbi, ubi habitas ? etc. 
if.* St Barbara. Dilectus meus loquitur mihi, etc. 
IIIl.* Conception of the B.V.M,  Transite ad 


ee 


vi CONTENTS 


XI.* Nativity of St John Baptist, II. Hic 
venit in testimonium, etc 
XII.+ St Timothy, or Memorial of St Peter. 
Argue, obsecra, ete. - : : 
XIIL+t St Paul. Vivo autem jam non ego, etc. 
XIV.* Visitation of the B.V.M. Transite 
ad me omnes, etc : 
XV.+ St Mary Magdalene. Martha, Morte, 
sollicita es, etc. . . . 
XVI.* St Lawrence. Qui mihi ministrat, ete. 
XVII.* Assumption of the B.V.M. Jn omnibus 
requiem quesivi, etc. 
XVIII.* St Augustine. Vigilate, quia nescitis, ete. 
XIX.* Nativity of the B.V.M.. Transite ad 
me omnes, etc. . . 
XX.* Exaltation of the Holy Giana: I, Ego 
si exaltatus fuero, etc. 
XXI.* Exaltation of the Holy Crab; Ul. 
Ego si exaltatus fuero, etc. - 
XXII.* Exaltation of the Holy Cross, III. 
Quasi cedrus exaltata sum, etc. 
XXIII.* St Matthew. Sequere me 
XXIV.* Michaelmas. Angeli corum, etc. 
XXV.* All Saints, I. Videns Jesus turbas, etc. 
XXVLI.+ All Saints, II. Beati pauperes spiritu, etc. 
XXVII.+ All Saints, III., or St. Ursula. Beati 
mundo corde, etc. . 5 3 ; 
XXVIIL+ St Catherine. JInventa una preciosa 
margarita, etc. “ 4 t 
XXIX.+ The Twelve Apostles. Si diligitis 
me, etc. . . . 
* Printed in the original edition, 1498. 


+ First printed in the Basle edition, 1521. 
t First printed in the Cologne edition, 1543. 


PAGE 


93 


106 
112 


118 


127 
141 


151 
159 


167 
fe 
181 
190 
2) 
207 
215 
227 
236 
241 


247 


CONTENTS 


XXX.+ Holy Martyrs. Calicem Domini biberunt, 
CEC ii. . . . . . 
XXXI.+ A Holy Martyr. Beatus vir : suffert 
tentationem, etc. . . 
XXXII.+ A Holy Bishop. Jn nomine meo, ete. . 
XXXIII.+ Holy Confessors.  Lucerna corporis 
tui, etc, : A : : 
XXXIV.} Holy Virgins.  Quingue ex cis erant 
Satuae, etc : : . 
XXXV.* Dedication of a Chareh, See 
domu tua oportet me manere is 
XXXVI.* Dedication of a Church, II. Domus 
mea domus orationis vocabitur 
XXXVII.* Three Instructions on Confession 


* Printed in the original edition, 1498. 
+ First printed in the Basle edition, rs2r. 
} First printed in the Cologne edition, 1543. 


INTRODUCTION 
I 


Score OF THE PrEsENT PuBLicaTIoN 


N this volume are contained the thirty-seven 
Sermons of John Tauler, which form the 
Third Part of the complete editions published 
at Frankfort in 1826 and at Prague (ed. 
Hamberger) in 1872. These are the Sermons 
for Festivals (de sanctis), while the First and 
Second Parts contain the Sermons for the 
Christian Year (de tempore); the total number 
being 145. Should this volume of the Festal 
Sermons meet with a favourable reception, the 
Sermons for the Christian Year may follow in 
two or three volumes. Up to the present time 
only twenty-seven of Tauler’s sermons have 
appeared in English, these being contained in 
Miss Susanna Winkworth’s well-known but 
now scarce volume, to which Charles Kingsley 
contributed a preface.1 Of the thirty-seven 
Festal Sermons Miss Winkworth translated 
only three (nos. 4, 12, and 31 in the present 
1 «The History and Life of the Reverend Doctor 
John Tauler of Strasbourg; with Twenty-five of his 
Sermons (temp. 1340) translated from the German 


with additional Notices of Tauler’s Life and Times, 
by Susanna Winkworth.” London, 1857. 


1X 


x INTRODUCTION 


volume) so that thirty-four of those now pre- 
sented to the reader appear here for the first 
time in English. The Sermons for the Christian 
Year were translated into French by M. Charles 
Sainte-Foi, and were published in Paris in 1855 ; 
but he did not include the Sermons de sanctis. 
They are to be found, however, together with 
all else that is rightly or wrongly ascribed to 
Tauler, in the Latin version, or rather para- 
phrase, by Laurentius Surius, a Carthusian,! 
which was based on the Cologne German 
edition of 1543, and which was reprinted at 
least twelve times before the end of the 
seventeenth century, while it was also translated 
into Italian, French and Dutch. 

Until the appearance of Hamberger’s edition 
(Prague, 1872), the standard German edition 
of the Sermons was that published at Frankfort, 
in 1826, without an editor’s name. This was 
used by Miss Winkworth, and also by M. 
Sainte-Foi; and it forms the basis of the 
present publication, as I have only been able 
to refer to Hamberger’s edition in the British 
Museum. In the anonymous Introduction are 
indicated the MSS. sources on which the 
earlier standard German editions (Leipzig, 


1498; Augsburg, 1508; Basle, 1521; Hal- 


1 D. Joannis Thauleri preclarissimi viri sublimisque 
theologi tam de tempore quam de sanctis conciones 
plane piissime . .. czteraque opera omnia . . . nunc 
primum ex Germanico idiomate in Latinum trans- 
fusa sermonem, interprete Laurentio Surio, Lubecensi, 
Carthusiz Coloniensis alumno, Colonix, 1548. 


INTRODUCTION xl 


berstadt, 1523; Cologne, 1543; Frankfort, 
1565; Amsterdam, 1588; Antwerp, 1593; 
and Hamburg, 1621) were based. The original 
Leipzig edition (1498) was printed from MSS. 
at Strasburg, said to be contemporary with Tauler, 
and to have been corrected by him. The eighty- 
four sermons in this edition may therefore be 
reckoned as authentic, with the exception of 
four, which are known to have been Eckhart’s. 
To the Basle edition of 1521 forty-two sermons 
were added, the editor, John Rymann, saying 
of them that “‘they have been more recently 
discovered and collected with great care and 
diligence. Although there may be a doubt 
about some of them, let not that offend thee; ° 
for it is certain that they have been written by 
a right learned man of that age, and are all 
based on one foundation, namely, true  self- 
surrender and the preparation of the spirit for 
God.” Some of these are probably to be 
ascribed to Eckhart, Suso or Ruysbroek. 
Such of them as are found in this volume 
are distinguished by the mark + in the Table 
of Contents. Of this Basle edition it should be 
noted that it was issued in the interests of the 
Reformation; and the article on Tauler in the 
new edition of the Kirchenlexicon (1899) seems 
to ignore these forty-two additional sermons 
altogether, and to admit as authentic only five 
of those added to the Cologne edition presently 
to be referred to. Something is said below as to 
the sense in which alone Tauler can be described 
as “a Reformer before the Reformation”; but 


zs INTRODUCTION 


it may be convenient here to note that Luther, 
who in 1517 put forth an edition of the Theo- 
logia Germanica, the work of one of Tauler’s 
contemporaries, had in the previous year written 
to Spalatin a commendation of Tauler’s sermons, 
of which, as a recognition of their Protestant 
tendency, too much has certainly been made. 
The fact that the words were written when 
Luther was still Prior of Wittenberg, and before 
there was any breach with Rome, should have 
sufficed to secure them from such misinterpreta- 
tion! Finally, to the Cologne edition of 1543 
(the standard for all subsequent ones) Petrus 
Noviomagus, the editor, added twenty - five 
sermons more, which he had found chiefly in 
the library of St Gertrude’s Convent in Cologne ; 
and the authenticity of these is in a general way 
supported, both by internal evidence, and by the 
fact that to the nuns at St Gertrude’s Tauler 

1 Luther’s commendation is as follows:—‘*Si te 
dilectat puram, solidam, antique simillimam theo- 
logiam legere in Germanica lingua effusam, sermones 
Johannis Tauleri, predicatoriz professionis, tibi com- 
parare potes, cujus totius velut epitomen ecce hic tibi 
mitto. Neque enim in Latina neque in nostra lingua 
theologiam vidi salubriorem et cum Evangelio con- 
sonantiorem.” On this Weiss, in the Biographie uni- 
verselle (edition of 1826) comments as follows :—* Les 
éloges donnés a ses [.c. Tauler’s] ouvrages par Luther, 
Melanchthon, et la plupart des chefs de la reforme 
religieuse, avaient fait soupcgonner la pureté des prin- 
cipes de Tauler; mais d’illustres écrivains catholiques 
ont pris soin de justifier sa mémoire; et Bossuet dit 
(“Instruction sur les états d’oraison”) qu’il le regarde 


comme un des plus solides et des plus corrects des 
mystiques.” 


INTRODUCTION xill 


frequently preached. Of the Festal Sermons 
contained in this volume, eighteen are to be 
found in the original Leipzig edition, fifteen 
form part of the Basle supplement, and four are 
of those that were added to the Cologne edition. 
Miss Winkworth, selecting from the whole number 
of 145 sermons, took eleven from the original 
edition, eleven from the Basle supplement, and 
five from the Cologne supplement. Of the 
Festal Sermons she selected only three, her 
principle of selection being rather edification 
than authenticity. 

But, on the general question of authenticity, it 
must be confessed that not one of the 145 
sermons can claim such as it would have 
possessed had it been written by Tauler’s own | 
hand and been put forth by him as repre- 
senting what he said or desired to say on the 
occasion. His sermons were always spoken; 
and the MSS. are at best only the reports of ' 
those who heard him; and such reports, it 
is hardly necessary to say, do not reproduce the 
sermons as they actually were delivered; though 
the way in which the sermons have thus come 
down to us explains the differences of reading 
in various editions and also the obscurity of 
certain passages. A critical edition of Tauler’s 
Sermons by a competent hand is doubtless a 
thing to be desired; but it would be a misfortune, 
from the point of view of edification, if, in 
such an edition, matter otherwise admirable 
found no place, on account of the uncertainty of 
its authorship. 


xiv INTRODUCTION 


The scope of Miss Winkworth’s edition of 
Tauler’s Sermons differed from that of the 
present publication. She had learnt to admire 
them by hearing some of them read in German 
Protestant households as a part of domestic 
worship; and her idea was to introduce a 
previously unknown preacher to an English 
audience, compiling ‘‘a volume of sermons for 
the Sundays and Holy-days of the year, such as 
any head of a family might read to his household, 
or any district visitor among the poor.” But as 
she was very properly anxious to publish in 
their entirety such sermons as she selected, she 
felt compelled to omit such as, either in whole 
or in part, were ‘‘too much imbued with 
references to the Romish ritual and discipline to 
be suitable for the Protestant common people.” 
I cannot say that any of the sermons strike me 
as particularly suitable for such a purpose. They. 
contain, indeed, many thoughts that have become 
pulpit commonplaces since Tauler’s day, and 
other thoughts that might very well acquire 
such acceptance; but for such a use as Miss 
Winkworth contemplated, the sermons need more 
than mere translation. Their spirit must first 
be made his own by any man who is to expound 
it profitably ; and this he then must do in his 
own language. My idea has therefore rather 
been to present these sermons of Tauler’s in 
such a form as may aid towards a more 
accurate historical appreciation of the man and 
his teaching. I have had no thought of either 
pruning or adapting his words. He was a 


INTRODUCTION ‘XV 


Dominican friar of the fourteenth century, and 
he held all the beliefs of his age and of his 
Church without any trace of reserve. The 
ardour of his Marian devotion is especially 
noticeable ; and it would be as improper to omit 
this or to tone it down in a translation, as it 
would be to correct any other illustrations of his 
beliefs and practices, crude and almost grotesque 
as some of them undoubtedly are.!_ Indeed, in 
order to preserve throughout the impression of a 
Catholic preacher addressing a Catholic congre- 
gation, I have even gone out of my way to give 
the English translation of the Scripture texts 
from the Douai version; since, though that did 
not exist in Tauler’s day any more than our 
own Authorised Version, it is a faithful transla- 
tion from the Vulgate, which Tauler used in 
the pulpit, translating it into German for the 
benefit of his hearers. Such at least has been 
my intention; though, from inadvertence and a 
greater familiarity with King James’ version, I 
may not have adhered to it throughout. To the 


1 With reference to the singularly detailed account 
of the way in which the Blessed Virgin occupied her 
time, given by Tauler in the Sermon here numbered vii., 
the Rev. Andrew Burn, rector of Kynnersley, Salop, 
has called my attention to similar language in the 
Gnomes of the Nicene Synod, quoted by Professor Achelis 
(Journal of Theological Studies, II., 128) which cer- 
tainly suggests that the two have a common source in 
traditions contained in some now lost Apocryphal 
Gospel. The Gnomes are at present only available in 
two Coptic MSS. ; the supposed date of the treatise is 
Cc. 400. 


en INTRODUCTION 


lady, by her own desire anonymous, to whose 
patient labour the bulk of the translation of the 
Sermons is due, I desire here to record my most 
sincere thanks. ‘Tauler’s sentences are some- 
times obscure because they are so long; and that 
obscurity the translator has in many cases suc- 
ceeded in removing by breaking up a sentence into 
two or more ; but it has not been found possible 
to remove in all cases the obscurity of the original. 
(See, at the end of this Introduction, an illustra- 
tion of the methods used by some earlier translators 
of Tauler.) The version here presented will, 
however, be found as a whole, readable and easy ; 
and it should serve to render more familiar one 
of the most notable figures in the history of the 
Christian Church; one whose teaching shows 
how essential is the unity that underlies a spiritual 
conception of the Christian Creed, however much 
its exponents may differ as to matters of form. 
A word must be said in explanation of the 
title, ‘*The Inner Way,’’ which the present 
volume bears. It is used merely by way of 
convenience, at the urgent request of the 
publishers. For myself, I had thought that 
“ Tauler’s Festal Sermons”’ would have amply 
sufficed to identify the contents of the volume for 
all those whom it is likely to interest; and that 
any additional title might even cause perplexity, 
especially to those who know that all the 
spiritual works, except the sermons, once attri- 
buted to Tauler, are now generally regarded as 
unauthentic. But it appears that, in bookselling 
regarded as a business, the word ‘ Sermons” 


. 


INTRODUCTION XVil 


bears a fatal significance, and must be avoided at 
any cost. Thus urged, I have selected a title 
which marks the general character of Tauler’s 
teaching, and which will not, I trust, give rise 
to any misconception as to what the volume 
professes to be. 


II 


Some Notes on Tauer’s Lire 


The historical criticism of the nineteenth 
century did not leave Tauler undisturbed. 
When Miss Winkworth published her “ History 
and Life of the Reverend Doctor John Tauler”’ 
in 1857, no one had questioned, save on grounds 
of religious sentiment, that he was the “¢ Master 
in Holy Scripture”? who was converted by the 
“Friend of God from the Oberland,” as is 
narrated in that quaint and edifying legend. 
The story in question had, in fact, been printed 
in every edition of 'Tauler’s Sermons, and was 
regarded as an authentic and almost contem- 
porary document. Quétif and Echard, in their 
Scriptures Ordinis Predicatorum, had suggested, 
early in the eighteenth century, that the legend 
should be regarded as an allegory ; } and this view 
was supported by Weiss, in his article on Tauler 
in the Biographie universelle. (1826) already 
referred to.? But it was reserved to H. S. 

1Tom I. p. 677. Paris, 1719. 


2 ¢*On ne doit peut-étre voir dans ce récit qu’une 


allégorie sur la necessité de veiller sans cesse sur 
soiméme et de combattre ses penchants.” 


. 


XVili INTRODUCTION 


Denifle, a learned Dominican of our own day, 
to point out that the story, as applied to Tauler, 
involves grave historical difficulties, and is barely 
reconcilable with certain matters of ascertained 
fact.! His criticisms would seem to have settled 
the question; but to him Preger, a Protestant, 
whose life has been largely devoted to the study 
of the German mystics, and who was selected 
to be the biographer of Tauler in the “ Universal 
German Biography,” has made a detailed 
reply, in the third volume of his Deutsche Mystik 
(1893); and many will hold that he has 
succeeded in rebuilding the edifice which 
Denifle was thought to have destroyed. The 
latter’s criticisms are however ably reinforced in 
the article on Tauler by Von Loé, also a 
Dominican, in the eleventh volume (1899) of 
the new edition of the Kirchenlextcon; and it 
would be impossible for anyone who had not 
made a prolonged and independent study of the 
question to decide between the disputants. 
Moreover, the controversy is mixed up with 
a further question, as to whether Tauler did or 
did not submit to the Papal interdict, under - 
which Strasburg (and other cities that espoused 
the cause of the Emperor Louis the Bavarian) 
lay for many years after 1329. The evidence 
certainly seems to point to the conclusion that 
Tauler, and the Dominican house at Strasburg, 


1 See his article in the Hist. Pol. Blatter, \xxv., 18 sg. 
(1875), and Tauler’s Bekchrung kritisch untersucht, form- 
ing Pt. 36 of Quellen und Forschungen zur Sprach und 
Culturgeschichte der Germanischen Volker (Strasburg, 1879). 


se 


INTRODUCTION XIX 


did submit. But Preger holds it as proved 
that a certain Merswin, a layman who had 
withdrawn from a distinguished civic position 
and led a penitential life as one of the ‘ Friends 
of God,’’ received the sacraments from Tauler 
during the interdict. Specklin, however, the 
Strasburg chronicler, on whom Preger relies for 
this assertion, also says that Tauler wrote a 
book (or two books) in which he protested 
against people being allowed to die without 
the sacraments during the interdict, and in 
obedience to it; and that his book was con- 
demned as heretical. To this his Catholic 
apologists reply that such a thing was impos- 
sible, since such administration of the sacra- 
ments during an interdict was not prohibited 
by the ecclesiastical law at that date. It is a 
pity that so admirable a legend should have 
proved the occasion for so keen a controversy. 
Proceeding now to sketch the undisputed 
facts of Tauler’s life, we note that he was born 
at Strasburg, about the year 1300, of a respect- 
able citizen family, dwelling in a house “near 
the Miller’s Bridge.”” At an early age (Preger 
says at fifteen) he entered the Dominican convent 
at Strasburg as a novice; and he was through 
life a brother of that «Order of Preachers,” 
known in England as the “ Black Friars.” 
He passed the two years of his novitiate and 
the eight years of his preliminary study in his 
native city; and then, as a brother of much 
promise, he was sent to the Studium Generale at 
Cologne for a further period of four years. It 


xx INTRODUCTION 


is interesting to note that, during those early 
years at Strasburg, the nave of the Cathedral, as 
we now see it, was fresh and white from the 
mason’s chisel, while the great western fagade 
was in process of erection. There he would 
have heard the sermons of his master, Eckhart, 


usually reckoned the most intellectual of the — ; 


German mystics and the founder of Getma 
philosophy. He would have heard him agai 
at Cologne, where Eckhart had the misfortun 


after trial by the Inquisition. At Strasburg 
Tauler would also have known the mystic, Jahbe? 
of Sternengassen, and the theologian, John*of 
Dambach; and he would have studied the 
authors he most frequently quotes, Augustine, 
Gregory, Bernard, Hugo and Richard of St 
Victor, Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus. 
Logic, Scripture, and the Sentences of Peter 
Lombard formed part of the regular curriculum 
of his preliminary training; and it is supposed 
that, when he proceeded to Cologne at the age 
of twenty-five, he had already been ordained 
priest, and had definitely adopted that mystical 
standpoint in religion by which he will always 
be distinguished. 

At this date the Dominican order occupied 
a position similar to that of the Jesuits two or 
three centuries later. It was the nursery of 
great preachers and theologians, and royal con- 
fessors were usually chosen from it. AtCologne 
Tauler would come to know several of the more 
learned men of his order; and it was there that 


— 
ee 


INTRODUCTION XXxI 


; training was probably completed. From a 
passage in one of his sermons:! it has been 
inferred that he proceeded to Paris; but there 
i8no certain trace of him in the Acta of that 
University ; and it is more likely that he re- 
turned direct from Cologne to Strasburg. 
Neither is there any evidence that at Cologne 
he took the degree of ‘Master in Holy 
Scripture,”’ (a degree equivalent to that of 
**Doctor in Theology”’); and this he could 
only have done either at Paris or Cologne. In 
all the MSS. previous to the fifteenth century he 
is described simply as “ Brother John Tauler ”’ ; 
and this is evidence against his being the anony- 
mous ‘‘ Master in Holy Scripture’? whom. the 
lay “Friend of God” converted. Only in 
virtue of that identification has he been described 
as “ Dr John Tauler.”’ 

He would have returned to Strasburg about 
the year 1329, when the city was laid under 
an interdict by John XXII. The validity of 
the interdict was disputed among the city clergy, 
great pressure being put upon them by the muni- 
cipal authorities not to observe it. Even among 
the regulars (Dominicans and Franciscans) there 
was a party that contended for its non-observance. 
The General Chapter of the Dominicans ad- 
mitted its validity; but, according to Preger, 
not all the German houses—there were about 
1oo—accepted the decision. The Strasburg 
convent, he maintains, did not submit to it until 
1339; and the friars were thereupon expelled 

1 See p. 316. 
c 


xxii INTRODUCTION > 


for three years by the City Council. But 
before this date Tauler appears to have been 
sent to Basle, where, though the city was im- 
perialist, the clergy were not called upon by the 
civil authorities to defy the interdict, and where, 
moreover, the Pope relaxed its observance from 
time to time. Here Tauler made a consider- 
able stay, and presumably delivered some, at 
least, of those sermons which were included 
in the Basle edition of 1521. Here, too, ‘he 
met Henry of Nordlingen, a secular priest who 
had come to Basle from Constance for the 
same reason that Tauler had come there from 
Strasburg. He was a man of much piety and 
influence, and he numbered many regulars among 
his spiritual children, one of them being Margaret 
Ebner, a Dominican nun and an ecstatica, with 
whom Tauler had later some correspondence, 
now lost.1_ He returned to Strasburg not much 
later than 1346; and it was in the years follow- 
ing that his sermons there attracted general 


1 Margaret Ebner believed that in her ecstasies she 
received -special revelations about our Lord’s life and 
especially about His childhood. She followed with the 
deepest attention the strife between the Pope and the 
Emperor Louis, having great loyalty and affection for 
the latter, as her own countryman. In 1346, Clement 
VI. renewed the excommunication of Louis—Dei ira in 
hoc et in futuro seculo exardescat in ipsum—and in the year 
following the Emperor died suddenly out hunting. 
But, none the less, Margaret (who died in 1351, aged 
sixty) believed that in one of her visions the Child 
Jesus assured her of his predestination to eternal life. 
Her diary and her correspondence with Henry of Nérd- 
lingen were edited by Strauch in 1882. 


INTRODUCTION Xxiil 


attention and admiration. In 1357 he again 
visited Cologne, and addressed a series of dis- 
courses to the nuns at St Gertrude’s in that 
city. Some of these were presumably the 
originals of the sermons added to the Cologne 
edition of 1543. Four years later he died in 
Strasburg (the date on ‘his tomb is June 16, 
1361), and was buried in the convent of his 
order. He had died, however, outside the 
convent, in the guest-house of an adjoining 
nunnery, over which his sister presided. A 
manuscript at Colmar, giving an account of' 
Tauler by one who had known him personally, 
describes him as ‘a gifted and holy Friend ot 
God”; but adds that he was detained six 
years in purgatory for sundry faults, one of 
these being that on his death-bed he allowed 
himself to receive too much attention from his 
sister, ‘in whose guest-house he died.”? Other 
faults ascribed to him are that he was irritable, 
that he was wanting in submission to his 
superiors, and that he extolled too highly the 
“Friends of God,” while towards others he 
was harsh. According to the legend already 
referred to, the lay “ Friend of God,’ to whom 
he had owed his conversion, was with him 
again at his death-bed, and received from ‘the 
Master” the notes of his conversion, to be 
published after his death, describing him as 
“the Master,”’ without any other name. 

I have failed to obtain any portrait of Tauler, 
and I am doubtful whether any vera effigies of 
him exists. But I have heard of a conventional 


XXIV INTRODUCTION 


likeness, in which he is represented in’ the 
Dominican habit, holding in his left hand the 
Holy Bible, stamped with the dgnus Dei, while 
he points to it with his right. On his breast 
are the letters I H S and beneath them a T, 
an allusion perhaps to his name or to his 
preaching of the Cross. 


Ill 
Notes on Taucer’s TEACHING | 


Only to Tauler’s Sermons must recourse be 
had to ascertain his teaching ; and even of these, 
as has been noted, a critical edition is desirable. 
The other works once attributed to him, and 
printed as his in the Latin version of Surius, are 
now accounted doubtful, if not certainly spurious. 
These works are :—(1) ‘The Following of the 
Poor Life of Christ’; (2) ‘ Exercises on the 
Life and Passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ ”’ ; 
and (3) ‘ Divine Institutions,” also called ‘The 
Marrow of the Soul.” All these are spiritual 
works of high value, and they deserve a place 
in any library of devotion; but, as attributed to 
Tauler, they are not authentic. Such at least 
is the present verdict of the critics. 

Judged then solely by his Sermons, Tauler is 
described by Von Loé, his latest biographer, as 
‘one of the foremost among the medizval German 
mystics and preachers, uniting the intellectual 
depth of Eckhart with the interior spirituality of 
Suso and the fervour of Berthold of Ratisbon.”’ 
The first-named was mystical; the last-named 


INTRODUCTION XXV 


was practical ; Suso was both; but he was rather 
a director than a preacher. Toauler also was 
both, and, like Berthold, he preached for his 
times. Herder criticises him, saying that to have 
read two of his sermons is to have read them 
all; but this is hardly a verdict to be accepted ; 
for his method varies largely, and the Sermon 
numbered xi. in this volume, for the most part 
so dull and in places barely intelligible, would 
strike a critic as not the work of the same author 
as the Sermon numbered xv. which the German 
editors have described as “¢a most precious and 
thoughtful exhortatioa,’’ and perhaps the best 
example of Tauler’s method. Sometimes more- 
over he expounds a text like a homilist ; some- 
times his text is barely referred to, and becomes 
a mere peg on which to hang a discourse on a 
subject of which he was full. No doubt there 
ate readers to whom his allegorical interpretation 
of Scripture will be distasteful. Kingsley admits 
that it is ‘fantastic and arbitrary”?; and the 
method is, of course, one that can easily be 
abused, especially when the interpretation of 
numbers is in question. But it has its justifica- 
tion, both in the fact that it is in accordance 
with Christian tradition—it is found’in St Paul, 
in the early Fathers (as Keble’s Tract Ixxxix. 
made abundantly clear), and in the offices of the 
Church, whether those for the choir or those for 
the altar, and traces of it are left in the Anglican 
Prayer-Book—and also in the experience of 
sympathetic souls, who find light and consola- 
tion’ in its use. But Tauler’s mysticism (of 


xxvi INTRODUCTION 


which more is said below) by no means exhausted 
itself in the allegorical interpretation of Seripture. 
To him, as to Keble and to Kingsley, the book 
of Nature was full of parables of things spiritual; 
and, beyond that again, he clearly enjoyed (for 
he was no hypocrite) an intuition of things divine, 
wherein he found more light and certitude than 
in mere submission to the dogmatic magisterium 
of the Church. 

Further, as to his manner, he is eager and 
earnest in his presentation of his subject ; he uses 
homely illustrations from daily life, yet without 
loss of dignity, and when he disparages, as he 
often does, ‘outward works,” he is saying 
nothing against the performance of the duties, 
even the humblest, of ordinary life; he is merely 
protesting against reliance on ecclesiastical routine, 
such as fasting, self-discipline, long prayers, and 
such-like ; and this protest is of course quite 
compatible with Catholic orthodoxy; nor is it 
unnecessary for these times any more than for 
his own. But the manner of his sermons, as 
they have come down to us, is sometimes hard 
and even menacing ; and readers may not always 
find it easy to reconcile his frequent use of the 
words “dear children”? with such an apparent 
lack of tenderness and sympathy. But, likely 
enough, this defect of manner was less noticeable 
in the discourses as delivered, than it is in the 
reports as now read. 

Readers will also find it necessary to bear in 
mind that the mystical standpoint in religion 
does not by itself free a man from contemporary 


INTRODUCTION xxvii 


views and prepossessions. The mystic is of his 
own age and race; and it is amply evident that 
the articles of Tauler’s creed were just those of 
any other Catholic believer of his time. There 
is throughout a spiritual element in his teaching ; 
but it does not exclude the use of what we should 
now account popular and conventional language 
about the fall of man, the pains of hell, and so 
forth, True, he says in one place, what indeed 
any Catholic preacher may say, that the chief 
pain of hell is the consciousness of being excluded 
from the Presence of God; but he does not go 
on to suggest, as a spiritually-minded teacher 
might now, that all other language about the 
pains of hell, “the worm that dieth not and 
the fire that is not quenched,” is merely figura- 
tive of that one pain, and that such language was 
and is necessary to bring home to men,—to all 
men in different degrees,—the exceeding great- 
ness of that pain or penalty, as it will hereafter 
be realised. He is liberal indeed in extending 
to the spiritually-minded heathen a sufficient 
knowledge of things divine. He holds that in 
the “¢inner ground’’+ Plato and Proclus appre- 
hended the Holy Trinity; he thinks that in 
Plato can be found the whole meaning of the 
opening verses of St John’s Gospel, though in 
veiled words. He teaches that a king, remain- 
ing such, may yet rise to the height of ‘‘ interior 
poverty,” if there is nothing that he is not ready 
cheerfully to resign to God’s Fatherly love. He 
extols the ‘evangelical counsels’’; but teaches 
1 See the note on this word Grund, on p. 94. 


—. 


xxviii INTRODUCTION 


also that the highest perfection is attainable by a 
married cobbler working to maintain his family. 
His doctrine of Purgatory does not differ from 
that usually held by Catholics; but he regards 
it more as a place for the purging away of self- 
will than for the expiation of sin. In his sermon 
for the second Sunday in Lent there is a passage 
somewhat in disparagement of the invocation of 
Saints. A good soul, he says, once prayed to 
the Saints; but they were so lost in God that 
they did not heed her. ‘Then she betook herself 
humbly to God direct, and straightway she was 
lifted far above all media into the loving abyss of 
the Godhead. But perhaps he comes nearest to 
the Protestant position in his language about the 
‘Friends of God.”? They are, he teaches, 
the true pillars of the Church, and without them 
the world could not stand. In his sermon for 
Letare Sunday he bids his hearers “beg the 
dear Friends of God to help them [in the 
way of perfection], and to attach themselves 
simply and solely to God and to his chosen 
Friends.”” And there is a similar passage in 
the sermon for All Saints (see pp. 218-222, 
and cf. pp. 93 and 174). But, in his teaching, 
the “‘ Friends of God” do not form, as they 
would have formed for the later Puritans, “the 
Church invisible”? ; they constitute. rather a 
second visible Church, to which the hierarchical 
Church is in some respects inferior. Some thirty 
years after Tauler’s death the Inquisition at 
Cologne condemned as heretical certain proposi- 
tions of Martin of Mayence; one of which was 


INTRODUCTION XXIX 


that these “‘ Friends of God” (who were lay- 
men) understood the Gospel better than some 
of the Apostles, even better than St Paul; and 
another was that submission to their teaching 
was necessary to perfection. But Tauler never 
went so far as this. 

It may be added that, from the modern 
Christian social point of view, Tauler’s limita- 
tions are obvious. ‘True, that in his sermon 
for Septuagesima he exhorts his hearers to use 
‘natural gifts’’ for God. But his conception 
of “nature”? is a very narrow one. Rightly 
it should include, besides those natural gifts 
which constitute personal character, such social 
virtues as patriotism, love for the community 
and for the family, a desire to master the earth 
and to make it the seat of a well-ordered 
Christian society, a realisation of the Kingdom 
~ of God on earth. But Tauler manifests no 
conception of anything of this. For the social 
elevation of mankind, here and now, he has 
nothing whatever to say. 

Nevertheless, whatever were our author’s 
limitations, Preger’s judgment on the value of 
Tauler’s sermons is one to command general 
assent :—‘‘ Their strength lies in the fact that 
Tauler knew how to put into them his whole 
heart, the fulness of his moral being. So utterly 
and completely is he penetrated by love of God 
and of Christ, so happily is the sublime and un- 
worldly zeal of the orator blended with gentle- 
ness and freedom, that he masters the will 
unawares, and lays the heart open to the de- 


XXX INTRODUCTION 


mands he makes upon it.-. . . His sermons 
will never cease to hold their place among the 
most perfect examples of pure German speech, 
of fervid German faith, and of German spiritu- 
ality in all its depths.” 


IV 


Tauter anp Mysticism 


It may be convenient to some of those into 
whose hands this little volume will come, if a 
brief account is here given of that ** Mysticism ”’ 
to which repeated reference has been made, and 
to which reference must be made, when the 
significance of Tauler’s teaching is under con- 
sideration. Although the subject is now much 
better understood than it was in’ 1856, when 
Robert Vaughan published his “* Hours with the 
Mystics,” a notable book, queerly put together, 
interesting in its facts, but irritating in its manner, 
and one that was sympathetically reviewed by 
Kingsley in ‘¢ Fraser’s Magazine,” ! there is still 
need to point out what mystics are not, more 
perhaps than what they are. Mystics are not 
dreamers; they are not fanatics; they are not 
fools; they are not a sect; and mysticism is not 
areligion. Asa rule, mystics are so termed by 
others; they do not use the term of themselves. 


1 The review was reprinted in Kingsley’s ‘* Miscel- 
lanies,” Vol. I.; and with it should be read his Prefaces 
to Miss Winkworth’s edition of the Theologia Germanica 
(1854, and now reprinted in the ‘¢Golden Treasury ” 
series) and of Tauler (1857). 


- 


INTRODUCTION XXXl 


But thousands and millions of Christian believers 
have been and. are mystics, without themselves 
knowing the word. In fact, as Dr Bigg says, 
‘mysticism is an element in all religion that 
is not mere formalism’’; and it is confined to 
no one form of Christianity. A Carthusian 
hermit, prostrate on the floor of his cell in 
meditation, may or may not be a mystic; but so 
may also be a grocer’s assistant who occasionally 
attends a Methodist chapel. When Cardinal 
Newman taught that in the act of faith the con- 
clusion is more certain than the premises, he 
(perhaps) inadvertently) proclaimed himself a 
mystic; and so, I think, did Ritschl, in spite of 
himself, when he affirmed the certitude of the 
“ value-judgment ”’ by which a man lays hold on 
the historic Christ ; for mysticism is such a way 
of apprehending spiritual truth; it is a way 
that is neither purely intellectual, nor purely 
emotional ; but one that employs, in one act, all 
the powers of a man’s soul. The mystical 
attitude towards truth is thus in harmony with 
Matthew Arnold’s lines :— 


“ Affections, Instincts, Principles and Powers, 
Impulse and Reason, Freedom and Control— 

So men, unravelling God’s harmonious whole, 

Rend in a thousand shreds this life of ours. 

Vain labour! Deep and broad, where none may see, 
Spring the foundations of that ‘shadowy throne, 
Where man’s One Nature, queen-like, sits alone. 
Centred in a majestic unity.’ 


It is true that mysticism has to do with 
mystery ; and that is why the term is popularly 


xxxii INTRODUCTION 


held in disrepute. But the mysteries with which 
mysticism chiefly has to do are neither numerous 
nor fantastic: they are God, and the Sou/, and 
Revelation; the last being the making known 
of the One to the other: and, beyond this, 
Christian mysticism views the Eternal as ap- 
proached through Jesus Christ, the Door ; a few 
texts from St Paul and St John sufficing to state 
the whole case. Individual mystical writers have, 
no doubt, gone far beyond this, and have said 
extravagant things; but the essence of the whole 
lies herein; and (again to. quote Dr Bigg), “the 
Church can never get rid of the mystic Spirit ; nor 
should she attempt to do so, for it is, in fact, 
her life. It is another name for conscience, fot 
freedom, for the rights of the individual soul, 
for the grace and privilege of direct access to 
the Redeemer, for the presence of the Divine 
Spirit in the heart.” ! 

And further, most people are now familiar 
with the distinction between the dreamy, un- 
practical mysticism of the East and the vigorous 
variety of the same mode of thought in the West. 
In both cases it produces the same consciousness 
of certitude and of interior peace; but in the 
one case that tends to mere contemplation and 
self-introspection, while in the other it inspires 
a Tauler or a Cromwell or a Coleridge; and 
from the latter’s mysticism, movements that are 
vigorous to-day have derived their spiritual 
energy, though but few of those whom the 
movements affect may be aware of the fact. 

s* Unity in Diversity,” p. 93. 


‘ 


INTRODUCTION _ xxxiii 


It is also necessary to distinguish between 
mysticism as a way of holding spiritual truth, 
and mysticism as an interpretation, sometimes 
fantastic, of the world and of man; and again 
between this interpretation and the mystical 
interpretation of Scripture, already referred ‘to, 
which is apt, indeed, to allegorise wantonly, 
though its fancies are almost always of service 
in securing a broader and more edifying inter- 
pretation for texts which, if regarded as mere 
history or legend, would Jack religious signifi- 
cance. The evolution of these other aspects of 
the subject from that first mysticism, which is 
the apprehension of spiritual things by the soul, 
a few moments reflection will make clear. The 
mystic, who sees God in all things and all things 
in God, recognises more in nature than mere 
natural phenomena, and more in the Word of 
God than its first literal significance. To him 
every thing, every event, every person, is a vision 
from the Unseen, a voice from the Inaudible. 
He lives in a world of parables, full of spiritual 
significance ; and, while for him there is a Real 
Presence everywhere, he finds it also most truly 
and effectively where it is most clearly discerned 
by faith. Nothing that might be accounted 
magical is required to produce it, for it is there 
and everywhere already. So too, in his inter- 
pretation of the Book, which contains, with 
whatever admixture, the fullest record of that 
which has been revealed to man as necessary for 
the salvation of his soul, he sees more than the 
mere student of the letter. In God’s dealings 


xxxiv INTRODUCTION 


with man from first to last he perceives a harmony 
that implies a foreshadowing of the last in the 
first, of the whole in the part; and in this way 
he can find an interpretation of spiritual value 
even in the thoughts of good men, who have 
pictured to themselves, inaccurately, it may be, 
as to matters of fact, God’s earlier work in the 
creation of the world and of man. And, thus 
broadly understood, mysticism is now “in the 
air,” and is becoming recognised as a force that 
makes for unity among Christians, who differ 
somewhat as to dogma, and more as to their 
methods of its external expression. Happily 
however, its interior and reserved character will 
always hinder mysticism from being degraded, as 
external religion can be and is, to the position of 
a mere badge or cry of an ecclesiastical party.! 
Not to know anything about’ mysticism ‘is, 
according to Professor Royce, not to know 
anything about a large part of human nature 3 
for mysticism is the philosophy of experience ; the 
mystics are the only thorough-going empiricists 
in the whole history of philosophy; and the 
realm of experience is that which is decisive 
of truth. A complete history of mysticism 
would cover a very large field in the history 
of the world; and that not only of the world 
1 Those who:are interested in this subject may be 
referred to Bige''s ‘Christian Platonists of Alexandria” 
(1886), and to Inge’s Bampton Lectures on “ Christian 
Mysticism” (1899), as also to Professor Royce’s Gifford 
Lectures. on ‘* The World and the Individual,” whence 


are taken some of the thoughts and phrases in the 
paragraphs which follow. 


INTRODUCTION XXXV 


of thought; for, in the West at any rate, the 
mystics have repeatedly built the platform on 
' which great dramas have been played; and in 
this sense (but in this sense only) Tauler and 
the ‘* Friends of God ”’ were “ precursors of the 
Reformation,’”? much as the Puritans were the 
precursors of the modern Revolution. It may 
be quite possible to show that Tauler was an 
orthodox Catholic friar, and that his obedience 
to the Church was throughout irreproachable ; 
but, none the less, his mystical doctrine of the 
inner and the outer, of the letter and the 
spirit, tended irresistibly towards the over- 
throw of Catholicism, so far as in his day 
it consisted in mere formalism and obedience 
to external rule. The same doctrine in the 
teaching of St Paul made short work of the 
Jewish Law; and again in our own day (for 
there are symptoms of its revival) it will either 
destroy or will newly inspire modern Catholicism, 
whether Roman or Anglican, which, without the 
mystic spirit, must inevitably degenerate into mere 
Byzantinism, the religion of credulity and of 
ceremonial routine. 

The earliest home of mysticism was in the 
East ; but before the Christian era it had passed 
over into Europe, or had an independent origin 
there. So at least is the alternative stated by 
Professor Royce. But its independent origin 
in the West, in the mystical teaching of Jesus 
Christ, as we recognise it in the language used 
by St Paul and St John, must surely be ac- 
knowledged as beyond question, save by those 


xxxvi INTRODUCTION 


who hold that the Prophet of Nazareth acquired 
mystical doctrines in the farther East, perhaps 
by residence there; and of this there is at 
present absolutely no evidence that can be 
termed historical. According to Professor Seth, 
it is a mode of thought or of feeling, from its 
very nature insusceptible of exact definition, in 
which reliance is placed on spiritual intuition or 
illumination, believed to transcend the ordinary 
powers of the human understanding. In this 
sense Plato (whom Eckhart quaintly describes 
as “the great Parson”’—der grosse Pfaffe), was 
a mystic. It is the endeavour of the human 
soul (in its own judgment successful) to grasp 
the Divine Essence, or the ultimate Reality of 
things, and to enjoy the blessedness of actual 
communion with the Highest. ‘Thus, mystical 
theology is that knowledge of God and of things 
divine, which is derived, not from observation or 
from argument, but from conscious spiritual ex- 
perience ; and, being thus based, it possesses, 
for the individual who holds it, an irrefragable 
certainty. 

From Plato and from Aristotle’s account of 
God’s inner life, the Greek mysticism, as a 
stream distinct from the mysticism of the New 
Testament (i.e. of St Paul, and of the writings 
attributed to St John), passed into Plotinus, and 
so, through Philo and the neo-Platonists, it 
became an element in Christian theology; and 
the writer known as ‘ pseudo-Dionysius”’ was 
its chief prophet in the early Church. It 
would take long to trace, so far as it can 


INTRODUCTION — xxxvii 


be traced, the filiation of the doctrine from the 
age of the neo-Platonists to the fourteenth cen- 
tury; and it must suffice to say that there existed 
in Tauler’s day at least four Latin versions of 


the works of Dionysius, that of Scotus Erigena + 


being the one with which he was most likely 
to be familiar. Dionysius was also commented 
on by the greatest scholastics, incidentally even by 
St Thomas Aquinas, who sought to deal justly 
with the mystics without endangering ortho- 
doxy. Eckhart, whose disciple Tauler in some 
sense was, had been trained in the school of St 
Thomas; but he gradually emancipated himself 
from the scholastic yoke; and he is commonly 
reckoned the spiritual ancestor of Kant and 
Hegel. Indeed, in other ways and by a more 
direct descent, mysticism at this day largely 
affects multitudes to whom its very name is 
unknown. The favourite devotional books of 
all the churches, and many of our most popular 
hymns, are essentially mystical. It has been 
defined above as philosophical empiricism ; but 
it is more than that, and much more than 
/ mere sentimentality. Again to quote Professor 
\ Royce:—*‘It is the conception of men whose 
\ piety has been won after long conflict, whose 
/ thoughts have been dissected by a very keen 
\inner scepticism, whose single-minded devotion 
/to an abstraction has resulted from a vast ex- 
\ perience of painful complications of life. . . . 
‘It has been the ferment of the faiths, the fore- 
runner of spiritual liberty, the inaccessible refuge 
of the nobler heretics, the inspirer, through 
d 


xxxvill INTRODUCTION 


poetry, of countless youth who know no meta- 
physics, the teacher, through the devotional 
books, of the despairing, the comforter of those 
who are weary of finitude; it has determined 
directly or indirectly, more than half of the 
technical theology of the Church.” 4 

With the above eloquent passage, written only 
the other day, may be compared Kingsley’s 
lament, written in 1856, that mysticism was a 
form of thought and feeling then all but extinct 
in England. The Anglican divines, he said, 
looked on it with utter disfavour ; they used the 
word always as a term of reproach; and they 
interpreted the mystical expressions in the Prayer- 
book (chiefly to be found in the collects) in 
accordance with the philosophy of Locke, being 
ignorant that these collects were really the work 
of Platonist mystics. But meanwhile, he pointed 
out, it was the mysticism of Coleridge ‘the 
fakir of Highgate,” that had originated both the 
Oxford Movement and Emersonian free-thought ; 
while Carlyle, ‘the only contemporary mystic 
of any real genius,’ was exercising more practical 
influence, and was infusing more vigorous life 
into the minds of thousands of men and women, 
than all the other teachers of England put 
together. If he had also mentioned Words- 
worth, Tennyson, Browning and Ruskin, he 
would have made still clearer how immense has 
been the power of our latter-day mysticism ; 
while the names of Neale and of Keble, of Faber 


1 « The World and the Individual,” pp. 81, 85. 


INTRODUCTION — xxxix 


and of Newman, can speak for the same potent 
influence among those who were ecclesiastics by 
profession. 

This perhaps may suffice, if any need there 
was, to secure for those who read Tauler’s 
sermons now for the first time, sympathy with 
him instead of suspicion on account of his reputa- 
tion as a mystic. There is no need to follow 
- him when he becomes subtle or extravagant ; 
but of his generally broad and spiritual teaching no 
one can doubt the wholesome influence. Ritschl, 
in his zeal for his new rational Lutheranism, is 
bitter against the mystics; yet even he admits 
that Tauler did good service in inculcating 
interior as compared with mere ceremonial re- 
ligion, and in lessening the great medieval distinc- 
tion between clergy and laity. There was in 
Tauler’s day a great need for a revival of the 
religion of the heart—when is there not such a 
need ?—but it was also necessary that the estab- 
lished methods of religion should be respected 
and remain intact; for there existed no other 
social bond equally fitted to hold men together. 
And this was the secret of Tauler’s influence. 
He was able to fill the old bottles with new 
wine from an ancient vineyard without bursting 
them. Recent historical criticism may have 
destroyed some of the romance with which his 
name was associated. But if, as it now appears 
—and Harnack as well as Ritschl agree with 
Denifle in this—he was not a “¢ Reformer before 
the Reformation,” and was not the subject of a 
singular conversion in the midst of his successful 


xl INTRODUCTION 


career as preacher, he still remains, and will 
always remain, a striking and venerable figure in 
the medieval Church, a reformer at any rate of 
practical abuses, and a prophet of righteousness 
in days that were corrupt as well as stormy. 


Vv 


Tue Versions or Tauter’s SERMONS 


That the editors and translators of Tauler 
have also been perforce to some extent his in- 
terpreters, may conveniently be illustrated by the 
following passage from his first Sermon for the 
Fourth Sunday after Easter, on the words 
Expedit vobis ut ego vadam, etc. I give the 
passage, first as it stands in the archaic German 
of the original edition (1498); then in the Latin 
version of Surius (1548); then in the modernised 
German of Hamberger’s edition (1872); then 
in the French translation of Sainte-Foi (1855); 
and finally in the English translation of Arch- 
deacon Hare, in his notes to “* The Mission of the 
Comforter,” reproduced in Miss Winkworth’s 
volume (1857). 

I 


In the edition of 1498; Sermon XX. fol. 60. 


‘‘ Kinder yr sollet nicht fragen nach grossen 
hoen Kunsten. dan ghet einfeldiglichenn in 
eweren grunt inwendig. uf lernet euch selber 
erkenné. im geist ui in natur. Und fraget nicht 
nach der verborgéheit gotes, von seinenn auss- 
flussen uf einfliessen ufi dem icht in dem nicht 


INTRODUCTION xlP 


uf funcké der sele in der istikeit. Wa ps 
iesus gesprochen hat Euch ist nicht zu wissen v6 
der heimlikeit gotes un darib so sollé wir halde 
einen waré ganzen einfeldigen glaubé in emem 
got in dreyfeldikeit der Pson uf nicht manigfel-. 
digliché sundern einfeldiglichen und leuterliché.” 


2. 
From the Latin Version of Surius (1548). 


«© Et vos, charissimi, non ad subtilium sub- 
limiumque artium et scientiarum cognitionem 
aspiretis: sed in ipsum interiorem fundum 
vestrum simpliciter ingredientes, illic vosipsos 
cognoscre discite: nihil vobis magnopere cure 
sit scire secreta Dei, influxus et effuxus illius, 
de esse et non esse, et quid sit anime scintilla 
in sua existentia. Non vobis commissum est 
scire arcana Dei. Nihil plane utilius est quam 
ut veram integram et simplicem fidem de uno 
Deo in personarum Trinitate, non multipliciter 
sed simpliciter et pure retineamus.”’ 


3. 
From Hamberger’s edition, ‘in die jetzige Schrift- 
sprache iibertragen” (1872). 


“« Kinder, ihr sollet nicht fragen nach hohen 
grossen Kunsten. Gehet einfaltig in euern 
Grund inwendig, und lernet euch selber erkennen 
in Geist und in Natur, und fraget nicht nach der 
Verborgenheit Gottes, von seinem Ausfliessen, 
und Einfliessen, und von dem Icht [Etwas] in 


xlii IN TRODUCTION 


dem Nicht [Nichts], und von-dem Funken der 
Seele in der Istigkeit [dem Wesen der Seele 
in ihrem Seyn]: denn Christus hat gesprochen : 
‘‘ Buch ist nicht noth zu wissen von der Heim- 
lichkeit Gottes.’? Darum sollen wir halten 
dem wahren, ganzen, einfaltigen Glauben, an 
den einem Gott, in Dreifaltigkeit der Person, 
und ‘nicht mannigfaltiglich [nicht mit verwir- 
render Spitzfindigkeit ], sondern einfaltiglich.”’ 


4a 
From the French translation of Sainte- Foi (1855). 


‘T] ne s’agit point, mes enfants, d’affecter de 
grands airs. Entrez simplement dans votre 
fond ; apprenez a vous connaitre tels que vous étes, 
et spirituellement et naturellement : ne cherchez 
point a connaitre les secrets de Dieu, tels que le 
flux et le reflux de l’étre au non-étre, l’essence de 
ame. Car le Christ a dit que vous n’avez 
pas besoin de connaitre les secrets de Dieu. 
Ayons une foi simple, vraie et entiére en un 
seul Dieu en trois personnes, en un Dieu parfaite- 
ment simple, exempt de toute multiplicité.”” 


is 
From Archdeacon Hare’s ‘* Mission of the 
Comforter,” apud Winkworth (1857). 


«« Children, ye shall not seek after great 
science. Simply enter into your own inward 
principle, and learn to know what you yourselves 
are, spiritually and naturally, and do not dive 


INTRODUCTION xlili 


into the secret things of God, asking questions 
about the efflux and reflux of the Aught into 
the Naught, or the essence of the soul’s spark ; 
for Christ has said: ‘It is not for you to know 
the times or the seasons which the Father hath 
put in His own power.’ Therefore, let us 
maintain a true, entire, simple faith in one God 
in a Trinity of Persons, and yet not as manifold 
but as one and simple.” 


A. Fs 
Fee Sie t 
in 


Vv, 
: 


THE INNER WAY 


SERMON I 


On tHe Feast or St ANDREW THE APOSTLE 


Of Christ as our Master, and of the good things He 
will teach us in a few words, such as will lead us 
on to the highest Perfection. Then, of where His 
Dwelling is, how and where we may find Him, Who 
calls and invites us all to come and see; as is clearly 
shown in what follows. 


Rabbi (quod est interpretatum Magister) ubi 
habitas 2 dixit eis:  Venite et videte. 


ABBI (which is to say, being interpreted, 
Master), where dwellest thou? He saith 
to them, Come and see.! 

We read in St John’s Gospel that St John 
the Baptist was standing, and two of his disciples, 
(one of them being Andrew, Simon Peter’s 
brother), and, when he saw Jesus pass by, he 
said: ** Behold the Lamb of God.”” The two 
disciples heard that, and they followed Jesus. 
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and 
said unto them: ‘ What seek ye?”’ They said 
unto Him, “ Rabbi (which is to say, being 


1 John i. 38, 39. 


2 THE INNER WAY 


interpreted, Master), where dwellest thou?” He 
saith unto them; ‘Come and see.” 

These words teach us three things, first, the 
overflowing Wisdom of Christ in the words of the 
Master, secondly, the Dwelling-place of His in- 
scrutable Being, the stronghold of all beings, for 
they said : “‘ Where dwellest thou?” and thirdly, 
the Comfort given to us by the invitation of 
God to seek Him in spirit, in the resting-place 
of His Godhead, and to learn at the Source of 
wisdom, that is, in the school of the Holy 
Trinity. He thus speaks of it: “Come, O 
soul, abide with Me and in Me; and look that 
thou mayest learn; I will open unto thee the 
depths of My Divine Heart, that thou mayest 
learn and see all that is for thine eternal good.” 

Now listen first to the Master: O Master, 
teach these daughters for me, that not one of 
them may remain amongst the five foolish virgins. 
Then He answered and said: Daughter, /earn of 
Me that thou mayest be meek and lowly of heart, 
as He also said to St Andrew and the other 
disciples. Now, if thou bethinkest thyself again, 
this teaching is too hard for me; for sloth, care, 
anger, cowardice and such-like resist me and 
afflict my heart, so that I lose all meekness of 
spirit. Christ our Master replied: “ How much 
will it help thee, O man, if in thy service thou 
gainest the whole world and losest thine own 
soul??? For from thence will many sorrows 
come upon thee, agitation of mind, anguish and 
bitterness of heart, vexation in all good works, 
indolence of mind, whereby the soul loses all 


ST ANDREW 3 


meekness of temper. Thus it comes to pass 
that the overflowing Spirit of Christ cannot pour 
joy or consolation into the soul ; for His tender- 
ness cannot suffer the bitterness of thy soul; for 
He is sweeter than honey. Therefore he that 
will have nought to do with the deceitful comfort 
of man must receive the sweetness of this Spirit. 
And therefore, dear child, begin manfully, follow , 
this Master, and cast thyself down before Him | 
in the depths of humility, and say in thine heart : 
*¢ Lord, l am the least of all the creatures that 
Thou hast made,” and compose thyself in meek- 
ness of spirit; and then shalt thou know that 
God is a short word which has a long meaning. 
Exercise thyself diligently therein, grow not 
weary ; and then shalt thou perceive that which 
before was hidden from thee. 

At another time the soul will be attracted by 
the Dwelling-place of the Divine Nature of our 
Master. Now, know that this question is one 
sought out by all creatures; and therefore they 
long for the same nature themselves, that they 
may find out the Nature of God; for all natural 
works are but a seeking after and a questioning 
after the Dwelling-place of God. If it were not 
so, the heavens and the elements could no longer 
exist. Dear child, what askest thou outside thy- 
self, and why seekest thou God in the strange 
lands of mortal things? Thou canst not truly 
find Him; they all deny Him, and point thee 
away from themselves. ‘‘ Weare not God,”’ they 
say. But Augustine writes; ‘¢ Exalt thyself above 
us to the things eternal ; for there is God.” 


4 THE INNER WAY 


Now, mark that God may be found in many 
ways in which the soul receives instruction. 
First, the soul finds God her Creator on the 
heights of penance or penitence. ‘Therefore the 
soul must, above all things, exert all her strength 
to subdue her own free will, ready, for God’s 
sake, to learn to give up all things, both great 
and small, to do hard penance, and to punish 
herself for following the will she had forsaken. 
The more the soul exercises herself in these 
works, the more will she find*God in her, and 
herself in God. This is shown in the Book of 
Love; for the Well-beloved says: “I will get 
me up to the mountain of myrrh, and will speak 
unto my love.” The mountain of bitter myrrh 
is the height of the exalted spirit, which trans- 
forms into bitterness the desire for’ all personal 
gratification and deceitful delights in all things 
that are not according to God’s Will. Thus 
God speaks in spirit to the soul: ‘ Thou art all 
fair my love, pure and undefiled, there is no spot 
in thee.”’ But he who lives according to his 
own will, for his own pleasure, cannot thus find 
God, but will find Him as his adversary in all’ 
his works. Thus man will- spoil all that he 
begins; for the works of the flesh will help but 
little, if the will and the affections of the heart 
are not first subdued. A Psalm, said by one 
who has subdued his will, is worth many Psalms : 
that is, the least work done by such a man is 
more pleasing to God than the greatest work 
done by a man who follows his own way. 

At another time man finds God in the wilder- 


ST ANDREW 5 


ness, in the burning bush, as Moses found Him. 
The bush in the wilderness signifies such a 
temper or spirit that, withdrawn and estranged 
from al] creatures, puts forth leaves or blossoms 
on the heights of the Eternal Godhead. As the 
Divine Being comprises within Himself three 
Persons, so also this spirit has laid hold of God 
in His threefold powers, as the bush laid hold of 
the flames in its blossomiug branches; and this 
is of grace. This putting forth of leaves causes 
- the soul to grow steadily in light, in godlike 
virtues, day by day without ceasing, until she, 
with the vision of angels, beholds God in Zion. 
Now, mark, in the measure that thou hast found 
God, in that measure also wilt thou find in thy- 
self the divine training and virtues—more to-day 
than yesterday. But he who will thus find God 
here, must cast off all carnal desires, and, with 
Moses, he must come under the dominion of self- 
restraint and the light of reason; for flesh and 
blood cannot possess the Kingdom of God. 1 
believe, dear children, that nearly all your daily 
shortcomings proceed therefrom; that ye follow 
by word. or deed the sudden impulses that thrust 
themselves into the heart from without, before - 
the light of self-restraint can shine therein. 
Thirdly, God may be found on the mountain, 
in the cloud; for the union (‘Testament) of 
Divine Light and of the commandment was written 
on the stone by the finger of God. The mountain 
is like a high-minded, large-hearted man, who 
has no pleasure in any of his works, neither 
can he find any rest in them, unless, like St Paul, 


6 THE INNER WAY 


he is confirmed in all his works by an express 
sign of the Will of God; so that the will of 
the soul does not even carry on human actions 
according to his own will, but after the manner 
appointed by the Divine Will, divinely. Thus 
the soul by her works sanctifies the body, so 
that, what the body does the soul does also; and 
again, on the other hand, the works of the 
Divine Will and the works of the soul are at 
one ; so that the soul can say: J five, yet not I, but 
Christ liveth in me ; I work, yet not I, but the 
power of Divine Being worketh in me. This 
takes place in the cloud, in the eternal splendour 
of the Divine Light, for the light of all creatures 
is as night compared with the Divine Light. 

Then God may be found in the cave with 
the prophet Elias. We read that the prophet 
came into the wilderness, and that in his soul he 
longed that he might die, for he had become 
weary in spirit with the turmoil of this world. 
While he slept, an angel came, and placed at his 
head a cake baken on the coals and a pitcher of 
water, and bade him arise and eat, because he 
had still a long way before him that he must go. 
And he went in the strength of that meat forty 
days and forty nights, until he came to the place 
where he found God. 

Then a strong wind came rushing by, which 
rent the rocks and the stones; but God was 
not in the wind; for God shows the spirit which 
is moved by stormy winds to be like those which 
Daniel saw contending in the sea of this world ; 
that is in a worldly heart, in tmordinate fear, hope, 


ST ANDREW 5 


joy and scorn; for all these things blind the 
light of the spirit with which a man ought to seek 
after God. The stormy wind also signifies to 
us the restless heart of a man, who in all things, 
both in his words and works, behaves so un- 
kindly and impatiently towards his fellow- 
Christians, that it might grind the stones to 
powder ; that is, that large-minded men are often 
robbed of their soul’s peace thereby. Dear 
children, with God’s help, beware of such 
violence. Keep watch over yourselves; subdue 
your unmortified nature, that it may not break 
out as violently as that of the wild, untamed 
beasts. It is indeed a dreadful thing to see such 
a man, endowed with reason, to whom God of 
His goodness has given so much light, and in 
whose nature He has implanted that kind of 
courage which enables him even to tame the 
wild beasts, if he chooses to exert his will, and 
follow the promptings of his own integrity. 
Alas! sometimes we are even wilder than the 
bears and lions, and a disgrace in the sight of 
God our Creator ; living contrary to the nature 
He gave us, as though the light of His counten- 
ance had never shone upon us. I tell you in 
truth that we shall have to give an account to 
God. for all that we ruin by such storms. It 
may be that we shall ruin ourselves (as often 
happens with the wrathful) or our neighbour, 
who is not only) disturbed thereby, but also 
angered, and hindered in much that is good— 
and of this we are guilty. Then, when we say 
it grieves us, but it is our nature, and we are 


8 THE INNER WAY 


obliged to do it, we are excusing ourselves falsely, 
and we never learn to die unto ourselves. Verily, 
if we turned to God in earnest fervent prayer 
and humble submission, these infirmities of our 
nature would not overpower us, nor, as we say, 
oblige or force us to commit such faults. 

Then came a fire, and God was not in the 
fire. Fire is a thing which can never say 
“Enough ;”’ and it represents the heart of a 
man who is never satisfied, either with his goods 
or with the gifts of God; but is always burning 
to increase without measure those things which 
are neither divine nor pure; desiring to receive 
comfort or other temporal things, and to find 
love and pleasure in them. All this is a sign 
that the Spirit of God is not there. I mean 
also all those people who make light of and 
belittle all the gifts of God, as though God 
had never done them any good, and who say: 
«Why did God make me? since I am so empty 
and barren of all that is good ;”’ and who do not 
perceive that God has preserved them from many 
a fall, and protected them from many sins into 
which they would have fallen, if He had not 
so carefully watched over them, and called them 
away from the world to a spiritual state, in which 
they might have been pillars of all Christendom, if 
only they had lived in accordance with that state. 

I tell thee, dear child, that such unthankful- 
ness might well have dried up the springs of 
love, of Divine Grace. Therefore, I beseech 
you, by the Eternal Love of God, that ye be 
not quickly moved by the desire for these things, 


ST ANDREW 9 


as I have taught you all, with heartfelt earnest- 
ness, and as God knows ; and if any other spirit 
teach you otherwise, it is at the peril of your 
salvation in the sight of God; as St Paul says 
to the Galatians: «If any man preach to you a 
gospel beside that which we have preached to 
you, even though it were an Angel from heaven, 
let him be anathema.” 

There came a siill small voice, like unto the 
sweet breezes of May; and in that voice came 
God ; for so saith the Scripture. This signifies 
to us one who walks with God, in the eternal 
words of God, and whose thoughts and words 
are holy according to the Word of God, and 
whose longing spirit communes with God. Then 
it is that God comes; for in such spiritual sun- 
beams a steady blessed light is borne in upon 
the soul from God. They are not worthy of 
this blessedness, who, by strange forms of man’s 
words (or even of an Angel, as St Paul says) 
are drawn away from the good desires they had 
received from God. This it is that the soul 
longeth after in the Book of Songs, when she 
says to God that the north wind should depart 
and go away ; meaning thereby all that entereth 
into the spirit from the flesh, from whence all 
evil comes. So saith also the prophet Jeremias ; 
for he saw that in the seething-pot all the budding 
spiritual gifts of God boiled and withered away 
when it was turned towards the north wind. 
Then his spirit was troubled within him, and 
he could no longer hold fast to the inner savour 
of the north wind. Therefore, when the soul 


10 THE INNER WAY 


longs for God, she says: Come, O south wind, 
(for it is sweet) blow through my garden, and let 
the aromatical spices thereof flow ; that is, that my 
works may have a godly savour. 

Fourthly, God is found above the Angels ; 
for the soul must be exalted above all Angels 
(though by nature below the Angels) if she 
would find God. Therefore she finds Him in 
the Father ; for thus the soul must bring all her 
works, free from all self-seeking, as the Eternal 
Word uplifts Himself eternally to God, if she 
would find Him, as he was found by the soaring 
Seer of God, John the Evangelist, when he 
said: ‘‘In the beginning was the Word.” 
Then Andrew, and the loving souls that were 
with him, ask with earnest longing: ‘* Master, 
where dwellest Thou?”’ John answers: “In 
the Beginning was the Word ;”’ for in words we 
shall not find God, if we do not lift up our souls 
in the Beginning. ‘Therefore we must pierce 
through all things that are beneath God and 
are not God, and the Beginning (from which we 
have our being) seek earnestly again; for therein 
alone is our dwelling and the future resting- 
place of our eternal bliss. This must be done 
by turning quickly away from the creature, and 
turning earnestly to the vision of the Divine 
Being and union with Him. As He said to 
those two disciples: ‘Come and see;’’ as 
though He had said: Come, that is turn away 
from the things by which ye are inordinately 
troubled and absorbed, that hinder your eternal 
peace; for ye must be emptied of all works, 


ST BARBARA II 


understanding and carnal desires. And see that 
ye come to the knowledge that God the Lord 
is empty and bare of all; so that your spirits 
may be guided to that pure and holy Being. For 
of necessity the soul must be empty and bare 
of all, that would enter into the secret Presence. 
Therefore man must divest himself of all those 
things of which he is conscious. Dionysius 
said to Timothy: ‘O dear friend, we must no 
longer listen with our outward ears to the sweet 
and loving words of our dear master, Paul ; 
but we must go to God, emptied of all things.” © 
This we can only do when our eyes are blinded 
and our inmost desires are raised on high, in 
order that we may learn to know His hidden 
Unity. May God help us all to this. Amen. 


SERMON II 


On Sr Barsara’s Day, oR THAT OF ANY 
oTHER Hoty Vircin 
Of some ways by which man may with certainty 
attain to Union with God, and may also have unceasing 


Communion with Him. How he may have peace with 
the world, the evil enemy and his own flesh. 


Dilectus meus loquitur mihi, surge, propera, 
amica mea. 


4 M* beloved speaketh to me: arise, make 
haste, my love.’ 1 


Thus spake the Bride in the Book of Love. 


1 Cant. ii. 10, 


12 THE INNER WAY 


Now, he who wishes to be the friend, and to 
know whether he be the spouse of our Lord, 
must take note of the following marks, and see 
whether he possesses them. If he possesses them, 
then he is, undoubtedly, a chosen spouse. 

The first is that he must have made peace 
with our Lord, so that no created being can 
disturb his inner peace. Thus saith the prophet : 
‘“« He will give you true peace in this place.” 4 
The spouse of our Lord must so comport her- 
self, that she readily renounces all things in 
humble confidence, retaining her divine peace 
unimpaired within, and renouncing all things in 
Him and by Him. Now wouldest thou ask, 
with whom thou shalt have peace? With the 
world, the enemy, and thine own flesh. But how? 
With the world, by not heeding what the world 
may do unto thee, either taking thee or leaving 
thee ; to this thou mayest attain with patience. 

Secondly, that thou mayest be at peace with 
the enemy ; but man can scarcely ever attain to 
this. The enemy is constantly striving with 
him, and is always interfering in all man’s works 
and actions in order to hinder him. ‘There is 
nothing by which man can so completely quench 
the fiery darts of the enemy as by fervent and 
devout prayer; for it burneth and chaseth him 
away, and forceth him to flee with all his lusts. 
Therefore, when man is conscious of the fiery 
arrows which are shot at him, and which would 
deprive him of his spiritual peace, let him at 
once betake himself to secret prayer with all his 

1 Jer. xiv. 13. 


ST BARBARA 13 


might, and take no heed of hindrances; and 
thus he will be rid of all hindrances, while nothing 
more grievous can happen to the enemy. Thus 
we read of St Bartholomew, that he prayed, 
and then the devil cried out: ‘‘Oh, thou 
burnest me with thy prayers, and thou hast 
bound me with fiery bands.” 

Thirdly, thou must have peace with thyself. 
But how? Thou must in all things subject 
thy body to thy spirit, that in all things thou 
mayest have dominion over it, that it may not 
hinder thee in any work that God requires of 
thee. Thus did the holy saints; for they had 
dominion over their own bodies, and trained: 
them so well, that that which the spirit desired, 
the body sprang forward to do, as though it 
would say: “ Here 1 am before thee.” We 
read that it was so with the humble Francis. 
There are four things that a man must do, in 
order to acquire this dominion over his own 
body. First, thou must deprive thy body of all 
that pleases it, whether in eating, drinking, sleeping 
or waking, and of all comfort. When thou seest 
that it is ready to rebel, bridle it with a discipline 
that is still more severe. Secondly, thou must 
renounce all thirst for and all the consolation of 
the world, and all worldly things and cares. 
Let the dead bury their dead ; follow thou God. 
If thy friend dies; or joy, grief, honour or 
riches, or whatever it may be, is thy portion or 
comes to thee, bear all patiently in God. A 
saint once said: ‘ With whomsoever thou re- 
joicest, and with whomsoever thou sorrowest, 


14 THE INNER WAY 


with him wilt thou also be judged.” St Paul 
says: ‘¢ Reckon yourselves to be dead unto the 
world.” The dead man careth not whether 
he be. praised or blamed, whether goods are 
given him or withheld. A dead or a dying man 
careth nothing for gold or jewels, for honour, 
friends, joy or consolation. ‘Thou must do as one 
of the old Fathers did, who dwelt in a wood. 
His own brother came to him and said: ‘ Dear 
brother, I am in great distress; a cart of mine, 
laden with goods, has fallen into the water, 
help me to drag it out; ”’ and he cried and wept 
and besought him urgently. The old Father 
replied: ‘Go, and ask that brother, who still 
dwells in the world, for help. Why comest thou 
to me?”’ Then the man, who was a merchant, 
said: ‘That brother has been dead a whole 
year.” Then said the old man. ‘So have I 
been dead for twenty years ;” and thus he dis- 
missed him, and troubled himself no more. 
Thirdly, thy mind must be always fixed on 
God. Thou must be always in the Presence of 
God. Verily, if thou desirest to have the 
Creator of all creatures, thou must renounce all 
\ creatures; for it cannot be otherwise, but only 
* insomuch as thy soul is emptied and bared; the 
tless of the creature, the more of God: this is 
but a fair bargain. St Augustine says: “ That 
man is far too covetous who is not satisfied with 
God; for what canst thou desire that thou 
canst not find in Him? Remember that what- 
ever such a heart can desire is to be found a 
thousand-fold in Him. Desirest thou love or 


ST BARBARA 15 


faithfulness, or truth, or consolation, or His 
constant Presence ?—all, all can be found without 
measure in Him. Desirest thou beauty? He 
is of all the most beautiful; desirest thou riches? 
He is of all the richest; desirest thou power? 
He is of all the most powerful. Whatever 
thy heart can desire, may be found a thousand- 
fold in Him; for in God alone canst thou find 
the best blessings.”? Therefore drive out all 
creatures with all their consolations. Say: ‘ Get 
thee away: thou art not He Whom I seek; 
Whom I desire, Whom I love.’? Whether it 
be honour, or riches, or joy, or friendship, say : 
“Get thee away, flee from me, let me alone, let 
me be, I heed thee not.”’ 4 

Whence comes it that God is so strange to 
thee, and that His loving Presence is so often 
lost or withheld? There is but one reason; that 
thy mind is not emptied and bared, and that thou 
troublest thyself about the creature, and art 
corrupted thereby. St Bernard says contempla- 
tion is nothing else than a cleaving to God, a” 
forgetfulness of all earthly things. St Augustine 
says; ‘‘ He can contemplate who is free from all 
earthly thoughts, and thinks of the things that are 
of God,’’ and he also says: ‘*O good Jesus, 
my soul longs unspeakably for Thy love. I 
beseech Thee that I may be enraptured with the 
vision, the Cross, and the most holy sweetness of 
Thy Humanity. May I be able to withstand the 
vanity and the temptations of the world, and 
long to be caught up into heaven, to fathom the * 
mystery of the Sacraments of God. May I 


16 THE INNER WAY 


so increase in spiritual things that I may be 
caught up, as it were, to gaze on Thy Divine 
and Holy Trinity, so that in all my works I may 
acknowledge Thy Divine Will, and be united with 
Thee. And, though I be sometimes let down to 
the first or second stage, may I have no difficulty 
in rising up again; so that, when I see or hear of 
earthly things, I may not heed them, but die 
unto them and live alone unto Thee. There is 
one thing that thou must know; wert thou only 
freed from the likeness’ of the creature thou 
mightest have God unceasingly ; for He could not 
refuse thee, either in heaven or in earth. He 
must come to thee. Had He sworn, He must 
change His .word, and come to thee, and com- 
pletely fill thy soul, if He found it empty; for, 
do what thou wilt, as long as the creature reigns 
in thee, thou must do without God and remain in 
vanity. If thou withholdest the least part of thy- 
self from Him, assuredly He will take much from 
thee of that which He is, an immense portion. 
There was once a fair and beautiful woman, 
who bare a child, that was as black as a Moor. 
Master Albertus was told of this great trouble. 
He found a picture of a Moor that the woman 
had seen, and he said to her: *¢ Woman, I have 
found the father of your child.”” And he com- 


. pared the matter to a hen that was set in sight of a 


sparrow-hawk, and all her young were fashioned 
after the likeness of sparrow-hawks. Thus all 
whoare born after the Divine Likeness are divine ; 
and all that are born after the flesh are carnal. 
Fourthly, thou must subdue thy natural senses, 


OUR LADY 17 


and at all times hold the mastery over them ; 
thou must see, and yet not see, and never raise 
thine eyes, nor listen with thine ears, nor open 
thy mouth, without good cause. Thy hands, thy 
feet and all thy members must never be allowed 
their own way. Thou must guard them carefully 
and keep them securely, that nothing may suggest 
itself to them, or be heard or seen by them that 
is not divine. For, St Augustine says: “ We 
must die and yet not die, we must keep under our 
nature and our senses by force.” ‘Then God 
will rule over us, and without doubt we shall 
also rule over ourselves. Amen. 


SERMON III 


On THE Concertion oF Our Lapy, Atso 
ON HER BirTu 


How men, when they are advancing, may learn to 
know their infirmities and secret evil inclinations ; 
how they may die unto them and be freed from them ; 
whether it be from the delights of things pertaining 
to the senses or the mind, or to the powers of the 
soul, or whatever else it may be. How the likeness 
of past habits must be driven out by the Likeness of 
the Life of Jesus Christ, so that men may come to 
understand with all the saints, the Height, the 
Depth, the Breadth and the Length of God. 


Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me. 


‘ (OME over to me, all ye that desire me, 
and be filled with my fruits. For my 
spirit is sweet above honey and the honeycomb.”’ ! 
1 Ecclus, xxiv. 26, 27. 
B 


18 THE INNER WAY 


Dear children, in the last sermon on these 
words, which were spoken (of the Virgin Mary) 
by the Eternal Wisdom, I told you that these 
words referred to our Lady, whose dignity and 
honour can in nowise be expressed by man in 
words, for they surpass all knowledge in value. 
I described the works and ways which were 
necessary to the man who, rising up, desired to 
enter into the way of truth; then, what was 
necessary to him during his progress ; and then, 
how the perfect man might arrive at the goal, 
and what his end would be. 

I told you how man must first put away all 
crying sins, such as pride, impurity, covetous- 
ness, anger, and all the evil growths of the world, 
with all foolish desires ; and, above all, every- 
thing that pertaineth to the flesh, whether of 
things animate or inanimate. In short, the man 
who does not turn bravely to God with all his 
heart and with all his mind, who does not love ' 
God from the bottom of his heart, and intend 
above all things to serve Him, and to be found 
at his death in Him, will never come to God; 
even though, as St Paul says, he were to do as 
many good works as all men now living, and 
were so wise that he spake with the tongue of 
Angels, and allowed his body to be burned, and 
gave all his goods to feed the poor. Now, how 
have they turned to God with all their love and 
with all their minds, who give their hearts, of 
their own free will, to created beings, although 
they know that they are thus occupying the places 
where God should dwell, and of which they are 


OUR LADY 19 


consciously depriving Him? God careth not for 
_ works, when He is deprived of the heart and of 
love. Of what use is the chaff to Him, if another 
has the wheat ? 

Now when these grosser sins are cut off in 
the growing man with a diligence which is like 
unto a sharp steel, and of which I have already 
spoken, he will be sharpened like a sharp knife, 
and whetted by the great righteousness of God, 
which lets no word nor deed, however small 
they may be, pass by unpunished. He must 
remember the secret and terrible judgments of 
God ; for no one knows how it will be with him ; 
for no one knows whether he be the subject of 
God’s anger, or of His favour. Now, when 
this man has begun by cutting off all wicked 
vices, he must then take heed of that which is 
left in the bottom of his heart, namely the in- 
clination thereto, which is the result of old habits. 
For these old habits make excuses for themselves, 
and strive to appear as though they were virtues ; 
and yet they are only counterfeits ; when pride, 
which a man fondly imagined he had overcome, 
lies hidden in his heart. For instance, care 
about dress and such-like matters remains, and 
it is called cleanliness ; or pleasure is found in 
things pertaining to the senses, such as food or 
drink ; and it is called necessity. Then some 
men are so angry and wrathful, longing to inform 
against every man and to judge him; and they 
are sO suspicious and impatient; and then they 
call it justice ; while pure laziness is called illness. 

Children, if you insist on any of these things, 


20 THE INNER WAY 


and glory in your own kindness and in your own 
judgment, and in your own lofty and wise works 
and ways—when the end comes, the Devil will 
come and take away those with him who fondly 
imagine that all is well with them. This will 
be the case, especially, with those who conceal 
their pride beneath the appearance of humility, 
and’ who, wise in their own conceit, should of 
right stand under Lucifer’s banner; for the 
higher they stand in their own esteem, the deeper 
will they fall into the abyss. 

Children, look to yourselves. This is not a 
question of small things. If ye were to be 
kept in a hot room a night and a day, ye would 
think it very hard; I say nothing of burning 
heat for many a year, or perhaps for all eternity. 

. Therefore commune with your own selves, for 
‘the kingdom of God is within you. See with 
whom ye associate, with whom ye readily stay ; 
and examine the reasons and the tendency to all 
evil habits. For if a man gives way to a fault 
for a year or two, that fault takes such deep root 
in his heart, that he can scarcely overcome it 
with all his might. Therefore young men should 
guard themselves carefully, so that no evil ten- 
dencies may take root in them. They must root 
out all infirmities at the beginning, when it is 
far more easy to do so than later. Now there 
are four things, especially, which man must guard 
against, four powers which are so injurious and 
evil that they are like jagged teeth. 

The first is the love of visible things; and in , 
this lies the strength of desire. It is scarcely ' 


OUR LADY 21 


possible to imagine or describe the harm men do 
to themselves thereby. Men who desire to be 
good, begin with this or that, with one thing or 
another, and are so occupied with the seed-sow- 
ing, that they do not keep to the full truth. 
They do not look into their own hearts, which 
are closed up, like some unknown thing a thousand 
miles off ; therefore outward and visible things 
are of more importance to them. Thus they go 
on avoiding themselves, so that they do not know 
where they are. 

The second power is anger. This is used in- 
ordinately ; for it should never be used outwardly, 
except in those things which are displeasing to — 
God. In itself it is a noble power; but in many * 
men it produces very evil growths. They 
suddenly fall with vehemence on anything 
whatsoever; and in false righteousness desire 
to censure it, to judge of all works and ways; 
and thus they deceive themselves and other 
men with their violence, their unrestrained and 
bitter anger, and their loud, harsh, unkind and 
angry words. 

The third evil is to be found in the power of 
the light of reason, to which many men trust to‘ 
their own hurt. They trust in their own reason 
and glory in it, and they compare themselves 
with the all-wise and living and essential Truth ; 
for he, who says he possesses it, possesses it not. | 
Thus many a man deceives himself and imagines 
he possesses all things, because he sees them in 
his own imagination, while they are hundreds of 
miles away; and thus he misses that noble 


22 THE INNER WAY 


treasure, deep humility ; and accepts the counter- 
feit before him and also before other men. 

The fourth evil is the secret delight which is 
often taken in talent. This holds sway in many 
men ; they are deceived by its good appearance, 
and pleasure attracts them more than divine love ; 
they take pleasure for God, and that which they 
imagine God is only pleasure. Thus, if their 
pleasure were to vanish, so also would their 
diligence. Look well to yourselves ; for many 
a thing which seems as though it came from 
divine love, has so many additions, that the en- 
joyment, the taste and the circumstances excite 
us more than we imagine. Sometimes this arises 
from new emotions, from inclination, or from 
fear of hell, or from the desire to be blessed ; 
and this is man’s natural desire. Know, children, 
that those who do not seek God from the heart, 
God will neither be their end nor their reward. 
All these things of which ye have heard must 
be diligently cut off, as with a sharp knife, which 
must be whetted on the severe judgments of God, 
and on His unchangeable righteousness, which 
lets nothing escape. 

Now, when these outward infirmities have 
been cut off, there still remains beneath the 
tendency to sin, the likeness of past habits; and 
this must be driven out by the Likeness of Jesus 
Christ. Avs one nail must be driven out by another, 
so must man imprint this Likeness devoutly and 
firmly on the ground of his heart, so that all 
inequalities in him may be done away and ex- 
tinguished. Now, as God has given great 


OUR LADY 23 


power to minerals and herbs, to drive out 
disease, by what power do ye believe that the 
Son of God will drive out all the diseases of the 
soul, but by His holy Sufferings, His Death, and 
His sacred Likeness. Now, because man can do 
nothing of himself, he must exercise himself in 
holy suffering by means of prayer ; he must cast 
himself down secretly at the feet of the heavenly 
Father, and beseech Him for the sake of His 
well-beloved Son, and by all His sufferings, to 
help him; for without Him he cannot attempt 
or succeed in anything. He must train himself 
never to allow the sacred Sufferings, nor the 
Likeness of his I.ord to forsake his heart ; and 
he must allow no strange likeness to find a place 
there. In order to do this, he must lift up his 
heart and mind to the heights of the glory of 
the Godhead, on which he must gaze with holy 
fear and longing desire. When he lays his dark 
and miserable ignorance before God, he will 
understand what Job said: ‘4 Spirit went 
before me.” 1 ‘This leading of the Spirit causes 
a great disturbance in the heart of the man. 
The clearer, the truer, the plainer this leading 
is, the stronger, the quicker, the truer and the 
plainer will be the work, the strength and the 
conversion of the man; and he will the more 
plainly recognise his place of abode. Then the 
Lord comes in a quick glance, and lights up the 
heart of the man, and will be Lord of all his 
work. When the man becomes conscious of | 


1 Job iv. 15. 


24 THE INNER WAY 


_the Lord’s Presence, he must let his work alone 


and worship Him; all his powers must be still, 
and there must be a calm. Otherwise the works 
of man would be but a hindrance, and his good 
works also; for he must do nothing but submit 
himself to God. But when man is again left to 
himself, and he is no longer conscious that God 
is working in him in any way that he can clearly 
recognise, then he must begin again to work 
diligently, and to discipline himself in holiness. 
Thus the man will sometimes work, and some- 
times rest, as he is moved of God and entreated ; 
everyone must do as seems best to him, either 
working or resting, so that he may be drawn to 
God. But he who cannot rest alone must make 
use of sacred pictures, and of discipline, so that 
he may be rooted and grounded in holy love and 
may comprehend with all saints the height, the 
length, the depth and the breadth. 

To understand all this is impossible ; but it is 
possible to cling to it with love and pure inten- 
tions. The mind must lift itself up above all 
visible things, and above all the lower things of 
sense, and realise that God, Who can do all 
things, did not choose to make a creature so 
noble, that with the help of his natural under- 
standing he could attain to the knowledge of the 
very essence of the Being of God. For the 
depth of the divine abyss cannot be fathomed by 


‘\ reason ; but the depth may be fathomed by deep 


humility. Therefore our Lady, taking no heed 
of all the great blessings that God had poured 
out upon her, spake only of her Jow/iness, for 


OUR LADY 25 


which all generations should) call her blessed, 
because God had regarded her only. 

The breadth of God must be understood as 
the universal love which He manifests in all 
places, in all lands, and in all the works and 
ways that are good. There is nothing so broad 
or so universal as God, nor so near to the 
inmost heart of man; he who will seek Him 
there, shall find Him. Thus every day we find 
Him in the Blessed Sacrament, in all the 
Friends of God, and in all creatures. This 
breadth must be sought with an earnest, fervent 
mind, that is, a mind that is empty and un- 
troubled by all other things, and that has 
secretly yielded itself up with all its powers in 
the Presence of God. ‘To that man will be 
given freedom of spirit and supernatural grace ; 
he will be exalted in mind above all forms and 
fashions, and will soar above all created things. 
St Gregory speaks of it thus: ‘If we would 
come to the knowledge of invisible things, we 
must look beyond all things that are visible.” 

The length is eternity, where there is no 
before and no after; but where all is still and 
unchanging, and in which all things exist, in a 
steady unchanging vision of Him, in whom all 
things exist. This length must be sought by 
man in a steady, unchanging and humble spirit ; 
unchanging in God, and renouncing all love, all 
sorrow and all creatures, that he may be satisfied 
in God, may rest in peace, and may leave all 
thingsto God. Thus the noble word: Transite, 
will be accomplished; for man will overcome 


~ 


_ 


26 THE INNER WAY 


all things, and will be filled with the divine 
Birth of this lovely, noble Virgin, to whom all 
men should pay great honour. However highly 
they may be exalted, they should give time and 
trouble to honour and serve her. May we also 


follow her, that we may also come to that Birth 
by the help of God. Amen. 


SERMON IV 


On THE Feast of St STEPHEN OR OF 
St Lawrence 
Of the three Grades of those who learn here to die 
to themselves in Nature and Spirit, that they may 
(like the Grain of Wheat) bring forth much fruit; 


viz. of those who are beginning, of those who are 
advancing, and of those who are perfect. 


Nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram mortuum 
fuerit, ipsum solum manet. 


«“ UNLESS the grain of wheat, falling into 
the ground, dieth, itself remaineth alone. 
But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” ! 

By the Wheat we understand our Lord Jesus 
Christ, Who by His, Death has brought forth 
much fruit for all men, if they are but willing, 
not only to reign with Him, but also, and in the 
first place, desire to follow Him ina dying life. 
For this may be called a dying life, when a man 
for the love of God refuses to gratify his senses 
and take his natural pleasure, and follow his own 


1 John xii. 24, 


ST STEPHEN 27 


will; and as many lusts as he dies to, so many 
deaths does he offer to God, and so many fruits 
of life will he receive in return. For in what 
measure a man dies to himself, and grows out 
of himself, in the same measure does God, Who 
is our Life, enter into him. 

Now mark, dear children, that the path of a 
man thus dying may be divided into three stages. 
Those who have entered on the lowest stage do 
acts of self-denial from fear of hell and for the 
hope of heaven, with some love to God mingled 
therewith, which leads them to shun the most 
flagrant sins; but the love of God seldom works 
strongly in them, except it be stirred up by the 
contemplation of hell or heaven: for by reason 
of their blind self-love these men are terribly 
afraid of death, and are by no means eager to 
set their hand to the work of mortifying their 
undisciplined nature which shrinks therefrom; 
and they have little faith, which is the cause of 
this timorous weakness, that leads them to be 
ever fearing for their own safety ; thus, just as 
formerly they sought and loved themselves in 
all kinds of carnal enjoyments and worldly 
vanities, and avoided bodily pain and incon- 
venience out of self-love, so now is the same 
motive at work, leading them to shun sin on 
account of punishment, in order to escape hell 
and obtain the rewards of heaven. And when 
they are still young in the love of God, they 
are apt to taste little sweetness in loving God, 
save when they hope to enjoy something from 
His love ; as, for instance to escape hell and get 


ad 


28 THE INNER WAY 


to heaven; and if sometimes they meditate on 
the Sufferings of our Lord, and weep over them 
with strong emotion, it is because they think 
how He was willing to suffer.so much for their 
sakes, and to redeem them by His bitter Death, 
still (because their love is small) they are much 
more inclined to dwell upon the bodily sufferings 
that He endured in His human nature, than to 
reflect how He manifested by His Death the 
highest perfection of all virtue, as humility, love 
and patience, and therein so greatly glorified His 
Heavenly Father. For this sort of persons set 
out and begin to die while as yet they love 
themselves far too well; hence they are not yet 
able to see truly what it:is to resign themselves 
to God, and to maintain a spirit of submission ;, 
and, although God does all things for the best, 
yet this they will never believe, and it is a per- 
petual stumbling-block to them. Thus they 
often ask and wonder why our Lord chose to 
suffer so much and why He leads his friends 
and followers to himself along such a path of 
suffering. And when they are at the beginning 
of a dying life, and only half-way inclined 
towards true perfection, nor perceive as. yet 
wherein this consists, they oft-times torment 
themselves with watching and fasting and an 
austere way of life; for whatever is outwardly 
painful to the flesh they fancy to be greatly and 
mightily regarded and prized by God. So, 
when they eagerly take upon themselves all the 
hardships they can, then they think they have 
reached the summit of perfection, and judge all 


ST STEPHEN 29 


other men, nay, even those who are much more 
perfect than themselves, and think meanly of all 
who do not practise outward austerities, calling 
them low-minded and ignorant in spiritual things ; 
and those who do not feel as they do they think 
to have gone astray altogether from a spiritual 
course, and desire that all men should be as they 
are: and whatever methods of avoiding sin they 
have practised and still make use of by reason 
of their infirmity, they desire, nay, demand that 
everyone else should observe ; and, if any do not 
do so, they judge them and murmur at them, 
and say that they pay no regard to religion. 
Now, while they thus keep themselves and all 
that belongs to them as it were working in their 
own service, and in this self-love unduly regard 
themselves as'their own property, they cut them- 
selves off from our Lord, and from the universal 
charity. For they ought to cherish continually 
a general love toward all men, both good and 
bad; but they remain absorbed in their partial 
and separate affections, whereby they bring upon 
themselves much disquiet, and remain a prey to 
their besetting sin of always seeking and study- 
ing themselves. And they are very niggardly 
of their spiritual blessings towards their fellow 
_ Christians ; for they devote all their prayers and 
_religious exercises to their own behoof}; and, if 
they pray or do any other kind act for others, 
they think it a great thing, and fancy they have 
done them a great service thereby. In short, as 
they look little within, and are so little en- 
lightened in the knowledge of themselves, so also 


30 THE INNER WAY 


they make little increase in the love of God and 
their neighbour ; for they are so entangled with 
unregulated affections that they live alone in heart, 
not thoroughly commingling their soul with any 
in the right sort of thorough love. For the love 
of God, which ought to unite them to God and 
all mankind, is wanting in them; and, although 
they appear to keep the ordinances of God and 
, of Holy Church, they do not keep the law of 
‘ Love. What they do is more out of constraint 
and fear than from hearty loye; and, because 
they are inwardly unfaithful to God, they dare 
not trust Him; for the imperfection which they 
find in themselves makes a ftaw in their love to 
God. Hence their whole life is full of care, 
full of toil and ignoble misery; for they see 
eternal life on the one side, and fear to lose it, 
and they see hell on the other, and fear to fall 
into it; and all their prayers and religious 
exercises cannot chase away their fear of hell, 
so long as they do not die unto themselves. 
For the more they love themselves and take 
counsel for their own welfare, the more the fear 
of hell grows upon them; insomuch that, when 
God does not help them forward as much as 
they wish, they complain; and they weep and 
sigh at every little difficulty they encounter, how- 
ever small, such as being tempted to vanity, 
wandering thoughts, and the like. They make 
long stories of what is of no consequence, and 
talk about their great difficulties and sufferings, 
as if they were grievously wronged; for they 
esteem their works, although small, to be highly 


ST STEPHEN 31 


meritorious, and that God Almighty owes them 
great honour and blessings in return. But our 
Lord will tell them (as He does in fact after- 
wards, when He has enlightened them with His 
grace) a poor fool loves his own wooden stick, 
or any other little worthless article, as much as 
a rich and wise man loves his sword, or any 
other great and precious thing. 

All such are standing on the lowest steps of a 
mortified life; and, if they do not die to them- 
selves more, and come to experience more of 
what a mortified life is, it is to be feared that 
they will fall back from that little whereunto 
they have attained, and may plunge into depths 
of folly and wickedness, from which God keep 
us all! But before a man comes to such a fall, 
God gives him great spiritual delight ; and upon 
this he is so greatly rejoiced that he cheerfully 
endures all sorts of austerities and penances ; and 
then he weeneth that he hath arrived at perfection, 
and begins to judge his neighbours, and wants to 
shape all men after his own model, so greatly 
does he esteem himself in his own conceits. 

Then God comes in His mercy to teach him 
what he is, and shows him into what error he 
has fallen, and-permits the Enemy to set before 
him and make him taste the sweetness of sin; 
and then, when he has thus tasted, he conceives 
an inclination to one sin after another, and he 
cannot rid himself of these inclinations. Then 
he wishes to flee sin that he may escape hell, and 
begins to do outward good works; and yet it is 
a dreadful toil to perform these good works as a 


32 THE INNER WAY 


mere labour, and to put himself to pain; thus 
he is brought into an agonizing struggle with 
himself, and does not know which way to turn ; 
for he dimly sees that he has gone astray. Then 
must God of His mercy come and raise him up, 
and he shall cry earnestly to God for help; and 
his chief meditation shall be on the Life and 
Works and especially the Sufferings of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 
The second degree in which the grain of 
, wheat dies is when a man is called upon to 
-endure insult, contempt, and such-like deaths: 
and, so long as his grace lasts, he would fain 
continue to suffer; for by the sense of un- 
deserved injury all his powers are but quickened 
and raised into a higher state of activity. But 
when he is bereft of this gracious sense of the 
Divine Presence, forasmuch as he is still far 
from perfection, he cannot bear up under this 
spiritual destitution, and, through his infirmity, 
falls a prey to mistrust of God, and fancies that 
God has forgotten him, and is not willing to 
help him towards perfection. Often he is in 
a hundred minds what to do or not do; and, 
if our Lord show him some kindness, then 
he feels as if all were well between his soul and 
God, and he feels himself so rich, as if he could 
never, more be poor, and thinks to enjoy the 
Presence and Savour of God (though as yet he 
is quite untried); just as if the Almighty were 
his own personal, special Friend ; and he is ready 
to believe that our Lord is, so to speak, at his 
disposal, will comfort him in adversity, and 


ST STEPHEN 33 


enrich him with all virtue. But, forasmuch as 
our gracious Lord sees that such a man will be 
very apt to rely upon his imagined powers, and 
thus to fall grievously, and sees also that the 
best and ripest fruit is being lost, inasmuch as the 
man has not yet attained to that perfection to 
which our Lord desires to lead him, therefore 
in due time He withdraws from him all that He 
had revealed to him, because the man was too 
much occupied with himself, with thinking about 
his own perfection, wisdom, holiness and virtues ; 
He thus brings himt hrough poverty to dissatis- 
faction with himself, and a humble acknowledg- 
ment that he has neither wisdom nor worthiness ; 
then does he begin to reflect within himself how 
. justly Almighty God has stayed His hand from 
bestowing any sensible tokens of His mercy, 
because he fancied that he was something; now 
he sees clearly that he is nothing. He was wont 
to care for his good name and honour in the 
world, and to defend them as a man stands up 
for his wedded wife, and to count them who 
spoke evil of him as enemies to the common 
good. He was wont to desire and thirst after 
the reputation of holiness, like a meadow after 
the dew of heaven. He weened that men’s 
praises of him had proceeded altogether from 
real goodness and sympathy of heart, and by 
God’s ordination, and had wandered so far from 
self-knowledge as not to see that he was in 
himself unsound from head to foot; he fancied 
that he was really as he stood in man’s opinion, 
and knew nothing to the contrary. 


Cc 


34 THE INNER WAY 


Here we must mark that he who wishes to 
heal himself of such-like grievous mistakes, and 
subdue such an unmortified nature, must take 
note of three points in himself. . First, how much 
he has striven to endure cheerfully, for the sake 
of goodness, all the rebuke, slander and shame 
that has come upon him, patiently enduring it in 
his heart without outward complaint. Secondly, 
how much in the time of his rebuke, shame and 
distress he has praised and glorified God and his 
fellow-men, and shown kindness to his neighbour 
in all ways, in spite of all contradiction against 
himself. Thirdly, let him examine himself 
whether he have loved with cheerful and willing 
heart the men or creatures who have thus per- 
secuted him, and sincerely prayed for them; and,, 
if he finds that he has not done so, and is un- 
willing to do so, but is hard and bitter in his 
grief, then he may surely know, and, ought to 
feel certain, that there is something false in him, 
and some resting in the praise of men dnd in his 
own spiritual pride, and that he is not dead. He 
has not yet come to the second step in a dying 
life. 

But our kind Lord, like a tender mother who 
is full of love, or a wise physician who desires 
to restore a sick man to perfect health by his 
powerful remedies, suffers him to fall many times 
that he may learn to know himself; and thus 
he falls into fleshly unspiritual temptations, such 
as he never experienced in those past days, in 
which he fancied himself very good and spiritual- 
minded. Out of mercy God deprives him of 


ST STEPHEN 35 


all understanding, and overclouds all the light in 
which he walked aforetime, and so hedges him 
in with the thorns of an anguished conscience, 
that he thinks nothing else but that he is cast off 
from the light of God’s countenance; and he 
moans greatly, and often with many tears ex- 
claims: “*O my God, why hast thou cast me 
off, and why go I thus mourning all the days of 
my pilgrimage ?”’ 

And when he finds himself thus, from the 
crown of his head to the sole of his foot, unlike 
God and at variance with Him, he is filled with 
the sense of his own unworthiness, and with dis- 
pleasure at himself, insomuch that he can hardly 
abide himself; and then he thinks many miser- 
able things about himself from passages of Holy 
Scripture, and sheds many tears in the sense of 
his sinfulness, till he is weighed down to the 
earth with the pressure of God’s hand, and 
exclaims with the prophet: ‘‘ My sins are more 
in number than the sands of the sea; they have 
taken hold upon me that I am not able to look 
up; for I have stirred up God’s anger against 
me, and done much evil in His sight.’”? These 
things he saith, and more of the like. And at 
times he is not even able thus to weep and lament, 
and then he is still more tormented with tribula- 
tion and assaults; for on the one hand he feels a 
strong desire to cast himself down humbly, and 
- die to himself, and on the other he is conscious of 
great pride and arrogance about himself, till he 
is so exasperated at himself that, but for the 
_ dishonour to God, he would fain kill himself. 


36 THE INNER WAY 


I believe that all such conflict greatly wears out 
the intellectual and natural powers, for it is so 
excessive, that one would rather suffer oneself to 
be put to death than endure it. Yet one grace 
is left him, namely, that he looks on it all as of 
no moment, whatever may be poured out over 
him, if only he may not knowingly offend God. 
After a while the grace of tears comes back to 
him, and he cries to God and says: **O Lord, 
arise, why sleepest thou?’’ and asks Him why 
He hath sealed up the fountains of His mercy; he 
calls upon the holy Angels and blessed spirits to 
have pity on him. He asks the heavens why 
they have become as brass, and the earth where- 
fore she is as iron, and beseeches the very stones 
to have compassion on his woes. He exclaims: 
«“ Am I become as the blasted hill of Gilboa, 
which was cursed of David that no rain or dew 
should fall upon it?’ And how should my wicked- 
ness alone vanquish the invisible God, and force 
Him to shut up His mercies, Whose property it 
is to have mercy and to help?”’ 

In the second stage of the dying life God 
leads the soul through these exercises and opera= 
tions of His Hand, as through fire and water by 
turns, until the workings of self-sufficiency are 
driven out from all the secret corners of the 
spirit, and the man henceforward is so utterly 
ashamed of himself, and so casts himself off, 
that he can never more ascribe any. greatness to 
himself, but thoroughly perceives all his own 
weakness, in which he now is and always has 
been ; and whatever he does or desires to do, 


ST STEPHEN 37 


or whatever good thing may be said of him, he 
does not take it to his own credit, for he: knows 
not how to say anything of himself but that 
he is full of all manner of infirmity. Then he 
has reached the end of this stage; and he who 
has arrived at this point is not far from the 
threshold of great mercies, by which he shall 
enter into the Bride-chamber of Christ. Then, 
when the day of his death shall come, he shall 
be brought in by, the Bridegroom with great 
rejoicing. 

It is hard to die. We know that little trees 
do not strike their roots deep into the earth, and 
therefore they cannot stand long; so it is with 
all humble hearts, who do not take deep root 
in earth, but in heaven. But the great trees 
which have waxed high, and are intended to 
endure long upon the earth, these strike their 
roots deep, and spread them out wide into the 
soil. So it is with the men who in old times 
and now at this present have been great upon 
earth ; they must needs through many a struggle 
and death die unto themselves, before all the 
self-sufficiency of their heart can be broken 
down, and they can be surely and firmly rooted 
for ever)in humility. It does however happen 
sometimes that the Holy Spirit finds easier ways 
than those of which we have spoken, whereby 
He brings such souls to Himself. 

The third degree in which the grain of wheat 
dies belongs only to the perfect, who with un- 
flagging diligence and ceaseless desire are ever 
striving to approach perfection. ‘These men’s 


38 THE INNER WAY 


state is one of mingled joy and sorrow, whereby 
they are tossed up and down; for the Holy 
Spirit is trying and sifting them, and preparing 
them for perfection with two kinds of grief and 
two kinds of joy and happiness which they have 
ever in their sight. The first grief is an inward 
pain and an overwhelming sorrow of heart, in 
the sense of the unspeakable wrong done to the 
Holy Trinity by all creatures, and specially by 
the bad Christians, who are living in mortal sin. 
The second grief consists in their fellow-feeling 
for and experience of all «the grief and pain 
which the Human Nature of Christ has under- 
gone. 

The first of the two joys lies in this dying ; 
it is a clear intuition and a perfect fruition to 
which they are raised in Christ by the power 
of the Holy Spirit, that they may enjoy’ the 
fruition of Him, and triumph in all the joys 
which they hope and believe after this life to 
behold in all their perfect fulness. The second 
triumph is that they are fulfilled in all the joys 
which the Human Nature of Christ possessed. 
This joy such a man hopes to share as a member 
of Christ; and, even if he cannot fathom the 
Abyss of God, he rejoices therein, for he sees 
that the overflowings of God’s mercy are un- 
speakable, and feels that it is good for him that 
he is vanquished in the effort to comprehend 
God’s power, and bends down beneath God in 
his self-dying. 

To this state a man cannot attain except he 
_ unite his will with God, with an entire re- 


ST STEPHEN 39 


nunciation and perfect denial of himself and all 

selfish love of himself; and all delight in having 

his own will be over-mastered and quenched by 

the shedding abroad in his heart of the Holy 

‘Spirit in the Love of God; so that it seems as, 
if the Holy Spirit Himself were the man’s will 
and, love, and he were nothing and willed nothing 

on his own account. Yea, even the Kingdom 

of Heaven he shall desire for God’s sake and 

God’s glory, because Christ hath earned it in - 
order to supply his needs, and chooseth to 
bestow it on him as one of His sons. When 
in this: stage, a man loveth all things in their 
right order, God above all things—next the 
blessed (Hiuman) Nature of Christ, and after that 
the blessed Mother of Christ, and the Saints of 
all degrees, each according to the rank which 
God hath enabled him to attain. When his 
affections are thus regulated, he sets himself in 
the lowest place at the wedding-feast of the 
Bridegroom. And when the Bridegroom comes 
Who has bidden him to the feast, He saith unto 
him: “Friend, go up higher.” Then he is 
endowed with a new life, and illuminated with 
a new light, in the which he clearly perceives 
and sees that he alone is the cause of his own 
evil, that he cannot with truth throw the blame 
either on nature, the world, or the devil. Yea, 
he confesses that God has appointed him all 
these exercises and assaults out of His great love, 
in order that he may glorify God in overcoming 
these, and deserve a higher crown. Further, 
he perceives and sees that it is God alone Who 


40 THE INNER WAY 


has upheld him and stayed his steps, so that he 
has no longer an inclination to sin, and Who 
has removed the occasion to sin that he might 
not fall. Yea, what is still worse, he is forced 
to confess that he has often been dissatisfied that 
he was not able to derive more enjoyment from 
his sins. Thus all his being is swallowed up in 
sorrow and remorse for that he is still laden with 
his boundless infirmity. 

But he hath delight and. joy in that he seeth 
that the goodness of God is as great as his 
necessities, so that his life may well be called a 
dying life, by reason of such his griefs and joys 
which are conformable and like unto the Life 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which from beginning 
to end was always made up of mingled grief 
and joy. Grief, in that he left His heavenly 
throne and came down into this world; joy, in 
that He was not severed from the glory and 
honour of the Father. Grief, in that He was a 
Son of Man; joy, in that He nevertheless was 
and remained the Son of God. Grief, because 
He took upon Him the office of a servant ; joy, 
in that He was nevertheless a great Lord. Grief, 
because in human nature He was mortal, and 
died upon the Cross; joy, because He was im- 
mortal according to His Godhead. Grief, in 
His birth, in that He was once born of His 
Mother ; joy, in that He is the only-begotten of 
God’s Heart from everlasting to everlasting. 
Grief, because He became in time subject to 
time; joy, because He was eternal before. all 
time, and shall be so for ever. Grief, in that 


ST STEPHEN 41 


the Word was born into the flesh, and hath 
dwelt in us; joy, in that the Word was in the 
beginning with God, and God Himself was 
the Word. Grief, in that it behoved Him to 
be baptized like any human sinner by St John 
the Baptist in the Jordan ; joy, in that the voice 
of His Heavenly Father said of Him: ‘ This 
is my beloved Son in Whom J am well pleased.” 
Grief, in that like others, sinners, He was 
tempted of the Enemy ; joy, in that the Angels 
came and ministered unto Him. Grief, in that 
He ofttimes endured hunger and thirst; joy, 
because He is Himself the Lord of men and 
Angels. Grief, in that He was often wearied 
with His labours; joy, because He is the rest 
of all loving hearts and blessed spirits. Grief, 
forasmuch as His holy life and sufferings should 
remain in vain for so many human beings; joy, 
because He should thereby save His friends. 
Grief, in that He must needs ask to drink water 
of the heathen woman at the well; joy, in that 
Te gave to that same woman to drink of living 
water, so that she should never thirst again. 
Grief, in that He was wont to sail in ships over 
the sea; joy, because He was wont to walk 
dry-shod over the waves. Grief, in that He 
wept with Martha and Mary over Lazarus; 
joy, in that He raised their brother Lazarus 
from the dead. Grief, in that He was nailed 
to the Cross with nails; joy, in that He promised 
Paradise to the thief by His side. Grief, in 
that He thirsted when hanging on the Cross ; 
joy, in that He should thereby redeem His elect 


x 


42 THE INNER WAY 


from eternal thirst. Grief, when He said: 
“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken 
Me?” joy, in that He would with these words 
comfort all sad hearts. Grief, in that His soul 
was parted from His body; and He died and 
was buried; joy, because on the third day He 
rose again from the dead with a glorified body. 
Thus was all His life, from the Manger to the 


Cross, a mingled web of grief and joy. Which 


life He hath left as a sacred testament to His 
followers in this present time, who are converted 
unto His dying life, that they may remember 
Him when they drink of His cup, and walk 
as He hath walked. May God help us so to 


do! Amen. 


SERMON V 


On St Joun tHe Evanceuist’s Day 


How men must receive all that God gives, and . 
ordains for those who truly seek him in all things, 
as from His Hand, and as for the best. How willingly 
God gives great gifts, when, in lowliness of mind, we 
esteem ourselves of small repute; and how all things 
are as nothing without God. 


Hic est discipulus ille, quem diligebat Jesus. 


. Tas is that disciple whom Jesus loyed.’’ ! 

Dear children, though God is no re- 
specter of persons, and loyes all the things that 
He has made, still He has His Friends (those 
who are most conscious of His fayour, and turn 


1 John xxi. 20. 


ST JOHN 43 


to Him with all their might) who are especially 
dear to Him; and it is not His fault that all 
men do not thus turn to Him of their own free 
will. He is always ready to receive us; and 
He lets the sun of His grace shine on the good 
and on the evil. 

Now St John especially was conscious of the 
grace of God from his youth, and was always 
the dearly loved disciple of our Lord, on account 
of his virginal purity, his perfect love, his 
keen vision, and all his other virtues. If there- 
fore we would be the dear disciples of God, 
we must first follow St John by dying wholly 


to ourselves, by resigning ourselves and all our - 


affections to God; and by receiving all things 
from His hand; we must deny ourselves all 
pleasure in the love of created things apart from 
God. Those men who thus resign themselves, 
and submit entirely to God, seek earnestly all 
that God gives them ; for it is, and it seems to 
them the best. Thou mayest (as truly as God 
lives) be certain that it must of necessity be the 
very best, and that no other way could be better 
than it is, though another might appear so; yet 
it would not be so good for thee, for God has 
chosen this and no other way ; therefore it must 
needs be the best. It may be sickness, poverty, 
hunger or thirst; whatever it may be that God 
ordains or does not ordain, it is still the best 
for thee. It may be devotion or fervour, or 
that thou art to possess neither, as long as it is not 
caused by thine own neglect ; only make up thy 
mind to seek God’s honour in all things, in al] 


\ 


44 THE INNER WAY 


that thou hast or hast not, then all that He 
sendeth thee will be for the best. 

Now thou mightest say perhaps: ‘* How do 
I know whether it is the will of God.or not?” 
Know this, that if it were not the will of God, 
it could not happen. Thou hast neither days of 
sickness, nor anything else, except it be the will 
of God. Now, if thou knowest it is God’s will, 
thou oughtest to have so much pleasure and 
delight therein, that thou wouldest not heed 
pain as pain, even though it were extreme. It 
would be wrong for thee to be sensible of pain 
or suffering ; for thou oughtest to accept it from 
God as the very best for thee. It is His very 
life, to desire only the best; therefore I ought 
to desire it, and nothing ought to please me 
better. Now, if there were a man whom I was 
most desirous to please, and I knew for certain 
that I should please him better in a gray garb 
than in any other, however good it might be, 
that gray garb would seem to be more desirable 
than any other though it were ever so good. 
Oh! take heed to yourselves, see how your love 
is fashioned! If ye truly loved God, nothing 
would delight you more than doing that which 
pleased Him best, and desiring that His will 
should be fully accomplished in us. However 
severe pain and discomfort may seem, if thou 
hast not as great delight in them as in comfort 
and pleasure, all is not well with thee. 

There is one thing which I am wont to say 
constantly, and which is also true, that we cry out 
every day and say in the Lord’s Prayer: ‘ Lord, 


ST JOHN 45 


Thy Will be done!” but then we feel angry, 
and are not so content with His will as that all 
He does should seem for the best. They whodo 
accept it as the best, are kept in perfect peace in 
all things. Now, sometimes ye say: “Oh! if it 
had only been otherwise it would have been 
better,” or, “if it had not happened thus it 
might have happened better.””_ As long as thou 
art of this mind, thou wilt never attain to peace ; 
thou must accept all as the very best. 

Now, mark, God is'the Giver of all gifts, and 
all things that are best and highest are His real 
and most peculiar gifts. God gives nothing so 
willingly as great gifts, for it is natural to Him 
to give great things; therefore, the better things 
are, the more of them there are, the noblest 
creatures, the Angels, are especially wise ; they 
have no bodily nature, and there are more of 
them in number than of all other created beings. 
Great things are really great gifts; and they are 
what I can-best make my own and most desire. 

I speak also of that which may actually be 
expressed in words, and which must come out 
from within quite freely ; it must not come from 
without into the heart ; but that must come out 
from within, which really dwells in the inmost 
heart. There all things are present unto thee, 
and live and move and have their being, in Him, 
who is the Holy and Sovereign God. Why dost 
thou not find it thus? Because thou are not at 
home there. The nobler a thing is, the commoner 
it is. I have my natural sense in common with 
animals; and life in common with trees; and 


46 THE INNER WAY 


my being, which is still more to me, in common 
with all creatures. Heaven is more than (all 
that is thereby ; therefore it is also nobler. The 
nobler things are, the commoner they are: Love 
is noble, because it is universal. It seems hard 
to do that which our Lord has commanded, and 
to love our neighbours as ourselves. Common 
people say, “‘ We ought to love them as we love 
God; for we love ourselves too well.”” But no, 
it should be otherwise. We must therefore love 
them very much, just as,we love ourselves; and 
this is not hard; for, if ye would only see it, 
this command is more of a reward than a com- 
mand. A command seems hard, but a reward 
is desirable. He, who loves.God as he ought 
to love Him, yea, and as he must love Him, 
whether he will or no, and ‘as all creatures love 
Him, must love his neighbour as himself. He 
must joy in his joys, as though they were his 
own; he must be as desirous for his honour as 
though it were his own; and he must treat a 
stranger as though he were dear unto him. Then 
that man will be always rejoicing, always useful, 
and always honourable. It will seem like 
heaven to him; and he will have far more joy, 
than if he rejoiced only in his own good. 

Now, know of a truth, that if thine own 
honour is of more importance to thee, and 
dearer than that of another man, thou doest 
wrongfully. Know this, that if thou seekest 
something that is thine own, thou seekest not 
God only; and thou wilt never find Him. 
Thou art acting as though thou madest a candle 


ST JOHN | 47 


of God to seek for something; and, when thou 
hast found it, thou castest the candle away. 
Therefore, when thou doest this, that which 
thou seekest with God, whatever it may be, it 
is nothing ; gain, reward, fervour, or whatever 
it may be, thou seekest nothing, therefore wilt 
thou find nothing. There is no other cause for 
finding nothing, but that thou seekest nothing. 
All creatures are absolutely nothing. I do not 
say that they are small or anything else, but that 
they are absolutely nothing. That which has 
no being is nothing. And creatures have no 
being, because they have their being in God ; 
if God turned away for a moment, they would 
cease to exist. He who desired to have all 
the world with God, would have nothing more 
than if he had God alone. All creatures have, 
without God, nothing more than a man has, who 
has a mite, or absolutely nothing, without Him ; 
neither more nor less. 

Listen, I beseech you, to a true saying. A 
man might give a thousand marks to build 
churches and monasteries, and it would be a 
great gift; but he who careth nought for a, 
thousand marks has done more and given more. * 
When God created all creatures, they were so 
vile and mean that He could not live and move 
in them. Then He made the soul of man, like 
unto and in harmony with Himself, that unto 
him He might give Himself; for all else that 
He gave him, man heeded not. God must give 
Himself to me as my own, as He is in Himeelf, 
or I have nothing and care for nothing. He, 


48 THE INNER WAY 


who would receive God in full measure, must 
give himself wholly to God; he must go out 
of himself. He will receive the like from God, 
all that He has as his own, as God Himself 
has it, and as He has given it to our Lady and 
to all that are in heaven. Those who have thus 
gone forth, and have given themselves, shall also, 
all alike, receive all in all and nothing less. 

Now know, that of ourselves, we have nothing ; 
for this and all other gifts are from above. ‘There- 
fore he who would receive from above, must of 
necessity place himself beneath, in true humility. 
And know of a truth, that if he leave anything 
out, so that all is not beneath, he will have 
nothing and receive nothing. Dost thou trust 
to thyself, or to anything else, or anybody else? 
thou art not beneath, and wilt receive nothing ; 
but if thou hast placed thyself beneath, then 
Thou wilt receive all things fully. It is God’s 
nature to give; and He lives and moves that 
He may give unto us when we are humble. 
If we are not lowly, and yet desire to receive, 
we do Him violence, and kill Him, so to speak ; 
and, though we may not wish to do this, yet we 
do it, as far as in us lies. That thou mayest 
truly give Him all things, see to it, that thou 
castest thyself in deep humility at the Feet of 
God, and beneath all created beings; that thou 
exaltest God in thy heart, and that thou con- 
fessest Him. The Lord our God sent His 
only-begotten Son into the world. God sent 
His Son in the fulness of time, for the sake of 
our souls, and that we might be filled with Him. 


ST AGNES 49 


_ When a soul is freed from place and time, the 

Father sends His Son into that soul to be born 
there. Nothing can hinder God in us, or us in 
God, if in our hearts we neither hang on to, nor 
cleave to time and place, nor exalt ourselves 
above time and place in Eternity, which is God 
Himself. Amen. 


SERMON VI 


On tHe Feast oF THE Hoty Vircin 
St AGNEs 


How outward purity of body, and inner chastity of 
mind, may be attained and preserved. Especially, 
how purity of mind may be preserved, in spite of 
the outward attacks of human love and imaginations ; 
and that no man, however spiritually-minded he may 
be, can ever be sure, while he is still here in the body, 
that his frail nature has been completely killed, so 
that he can never be tempted to impurity. Of three 
snares that are laid for those who are spiritually- 
minded, into which they may fall and against which 
they must guard themselves, be they never so perfect. 


Virgo cogitat, quae Domini sunt, ut sit sancta 
et corpore et spiritu. 


* A VIRGIN thinketh on the things of the 
Lord, that she may be holy both in 
body and spirit.””} 

A virgin, says St Paul, thinks and meditates 
on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy 
in body and soul. Four things are needful for 
virgins, that they may be pure in body and pure 


11 Cor. vii. 34. 


50 THE INNER WAY 


in spirit. To purity of body pertain spotlessness 
of the flesh, and moderation in the use of all 
bodily necessaries, in eating or drinking, sleeping 
or waking. A virgin must refrain from talking ;— 
she must be modest in all her ways; she must 
abstain from mixing in dissolute society or amuse- 
ments, and be lowly and simple in her daily life ; 
industrious in good and seemly work, or in works 
of penance and such-like; for all these things 
tend to external chastity. He who seeks to 
perfect or preserve his chastity in any other way, 
will find he has been deceived; for that which 
is visible must be visibly overcome ; or else the 
impurity of the flesh will overcome the purity 
of the spirit. It is plain that he who tries to 
tame the flesh by the flesh will not effect much. 
And now we will say no more of this, but say a 
little about the chastity of the spirit, how it 
may be lost or preserved; and this is a useful 
subject, which all those who are spiritually- 
minded will do well to consider and remember. 
Purity of spirit consists in a clean, pure and 
humble conscience ; for a humble conscience is 
a pure mind and a clean heart. A pure mind 
is to be gained by exercise in the Holy Scriptures. 
From thence come holy meditations which fill 
the heart of man; and therefore it is the sooner 
freed from all vain and wicked thoughts. Be 
sure, nothing doubting, that the man, who 
devotes himself to diligent study of the Holy 
Scriptures, will be preserved and guarded from the 
grosser temptations to impurity. This is shown 
by St Jerome, when he says: ‘ Love to search 


ST AGNES 51 


the Scriptures, and then ye will not care for 
the lusts of the flesh, nor delight in them.” 
But a clean heart must be gained by driving 
out all desire for the creature, and especially for 
man; for a good and holy man is so easily 
grieved and disturbed in his heart by the in-\ 
ordinate love of man, that it often takes him a 
long time to drive out that love from his heart, 
which had entered in a moment. ‘Therefore, 
unless man shuns the causes which minister to 
the flesh, he can get no further, and he must 
receive a hurt that will grieve him. It is here 
that man is most easily wounded, on account of 
his natural short-sightedness, which is so deeply 
rooted in inordinate desire, that he will be kept 
occupied all the days of his life; though many 
a man, who does not realise it, is as bold and 
joyful as though he had conquered in every strife 
and had overcome. 

Now, dear children, though ye had conquered 
in a thousand fights, and had gained the 


victory, ye must not trust to it; for as long 


as body and soul are joined together, to none 
is freedom assured on earth. That which may 


_not happen in a hundred years, often comes in 
one moment; so that many a good and pure 


man has been tempted and led astray in 
such a manner that he hardly knew how it 


came about. Not that such men are spotted by 
outward deeds, or fall into open carnal sins, 
| though sometimes even this occurs; but then 
_they are molested by the charm of evil desire, 
dangerous, transitory and carnal love, which 


52 THE INNER WAY 


darkens their understanding and judgment, and 
the fervour which they had before experienced ; 
and they are cast into a hell of distress and 
scorn, and feel the gnawings of conscience. 
Thus man seems to be going to the gates of hell 
and of eternal darkness, just like one who is 
about to be killed, and, who in great fear and 
horror of death, loses his senses and reason. 
This comes from lack of watchfulness ; but it 
is at times also ordained by God, that the man 
may ground himself in true humility, and may 
learn to know his own infirmity, and may be 
able to feel for other men in theirs. This is 
especially the case with those who afflict them- 
selves, in order to overcome and to kill the 
inner, reasoning and upright man, because they 
long to attain to absolute poverty of spirit. It 
is necessary that they, more than all men, should 
guard themselves in the presence of those who 
are unlike them. For the Tempter, who never 
rests, does not forget his cunning when he 
finds a good opportunity. Now if such men 
strive diligently to destroy the inner man ab- 
solutely, and to walk in all singleness of heart, 
they will exert themselves to overcome all inner 
troubles, so that they may uncomplainingly and 
unresistingly submit themselves to God in all 
things, whenever and however it may please 
Him. They must not endeavour to get their — 
own way in His work, but must desire that His 

will may be done, without any choosing on their — 
part. See, by this means, man will attain to 
such simplicity of heart, and such peace, both 


i i 


ST AGNES 53 


outwardly and inwardly, and also in his nature, 
that he will be scarcely conscious of any resist- 
ance in himself. Neither is he conscious of any 
shame, nor yet of the burden of a guilty con- 
science ; and, to use a simile, it seems as though 
he had returned to his original ignorance and 
innocence, and were like a young child who 
follows the dictates of nature without shame. 
In the same way a child might thus naturally go 
his own way, and grow up, according to nature, 
taking no care or pains to tame his unruly 
passions. ‘T’hus it would come to pass that his 
passions would grow stronger and stronger ; and, 
as understanding and desire increased, sin also 
would increase. ‘This might also happen to a 
pure and spiritually-minded man, however child- 
like his innocence might be, who had long lived 
a life of seclusion, and who seemed to have so 
conquered his outer and lower nature that he 
was scarcely conscious at any time of temptation, 
either sleeping or waking ; and who, were the 
occasion to arise, or were he incited to it, would 
take no pleasure in it, but would imagine he 
could easily withstand all these attacks and 
temptations. Yea, it would even seem to him 
as though there were no more attraction or 
pleasure for him in such things, than there 
would be for a man who was dead, in seeing, 
hearing, speaking, or in anything else possible. 
Now see, nature seems quite dead; and yet none 
should put their trust in it, either men or women, 
however sure of themselves they may be, and 
even satisfied as to their condition, Now, 


54 THE INNER WAY 


however perfect and holy the man in truth may 
be, however dead he may seem to all these things, 
if he will not flee from temptations, his heart will 
of necessity be wounded by sensual desires; and 
it will be agitated and tempted by the love of a 
friend, more for one than for another. 

Now mark, dear children, how this takes 
place, and how by degrees man falls into such 
snares. First of all, love is felt for people on 
account of their grace, their piety and their 
spirituality ; and this is all-sufficing to the heart, 
and seems to be all spiritual, and is accepted with 
great thankfulness to God and to these men. If 
man does not continue to strive to chase away 
these emotions, the longing creeps in to show 
these people outwardly a little kindness out of 
pure friendliness. He recognises them by 
pleasant words and gestures, by laughing and 
bowing, by touching their clothes, or taking 
them by the hand, or embracing them, or by 
bowing the head to them, and by many such 
like things. These are all signs of natural 
human love, and show that the heart has been 
wounded by unregulated love. It may be, if 
the man does not shun it, that he will be still 
more deeply wounded; and it may go so far, 
that spiritual pleasure is turned into carnal 
‘pleasure ; and the man, thus, entangled in this 
net of the devil’s and of carnal desires, cannot 
easily escape from it without great injury and 
danger of sin in his heart. Yea, it may even 
go so far that he dallies with such pleasure till 
at last he consents to it; and that would be 4 


ST AGNES 55 


sin unto. death; and, if even then he did not 
become conscious of it, he might fall into great 
spiritual sin without any opposition on his part. 
See, dear children, a good man may thus fall 
into all kinds of sin, if he does not at once resist 
the temptation. Yea, and even though he had 
attained to the highest and most perfect state of 
virtue, if he does not flee from these sins, he 
may stand in great danger from them, greater 
danger than he was ever in before. Never was 
it more necessary for him to shun them than it 
would be now; for no one is free from these 
temptations and incitements, as long as his breath 
is in his body ; and, however holy he may be, i 
is possible for him to fall into sin and to endanger 
his salvation, unless he keeps watch over himself. 
As all teachers point out to us, three snares 
are laid for the spiritually-minded, into which 
they may fall. The first is a man’s holiness. 
The second is when people are of one family, 
and belong to each other by birth and nature, or 
are related, that as being brothers and sisters, and 
so forth. he third snare is personal holiness, 
and that in the long practice of virtue, so that 
the occasion of sin is not shunned. This carnal 
affection sometimes exists between persons of 
different sex, between a man and a woman. 
They fall in love with each other, and seek 
distraction and diversion together, asking each 
other how they are, and about their station and 
place in life. Ye will see that this must in the 
end bring trouble and come to a bad end, and 
cause sorrow and heaviness of heart. This is 


~*~ 


56 THE INNER WAY 


especially the case when people of unequal rank 
start such a friendship together. This cannot be 
tolerated by anyone with a good conscience ; for 
thence arise contempt, suspicion, irritation and the 
destruction of inner spiritual peace. Therefore 
all those who are obliged by necessity, or their 
office, to speak to people who are not of the 
same rank as themselves, must do so as little as 
possible, and go away as soon as possible ; and 
this will be good for their own consciences, and 
also for their inferiors or equals, who will be the 
less angered or tempted thereby. Whoever, 
therefore, wishes to be preserved in such a case, 
or from other sins, must, as Bonaventura says, 
seat himself and speak openly, as though he 
wished everyone to see how he treats such 
persons, and that he no more desires to carry 
on improper relations with them than with any- 
one else. Neither must he set his heart on 
any other person, to such a degree that he is 
absorbed in that person. He must never be 
outwardly too friendly to anyone, especially to 
people of different sex, either in kindly or 
spiritual intercourse ; but he must behave gravely 
towards them, and hurry straight away, ex- 
changing only short -words with them. 

Now ye see, dear children, that if even a 
good and pious man can thus fall into unchastity 
from such causes as I have mentioned, how it 
will be with those who, either in thought, or will, ° 
or deed, do not tear themselves away from all 
such temptations, and who are not ready to die 
to all superfluity, pleasure, effeminacy, fastidious- 


CANDLE-MASS 57 


ness and unruly mirth, and to all the other 
causes of sin that are evident. Oh! if even a 
good man is thus tempted to impurity, how will 
it be with a man who is dilatory, wilful, fastidious, 
lazy and idle, dull and dead to all spiritual things? 
Will he not revel in them and be corrupted? 
This is known alone to the Lord God, Who 
trieth the reins and the hearts. But may God 
have mercy upon us, poor sinners, and preserve 
us from these troublesome snares of unchastity ; 
that we may be found pure and clean in His 
sight, in body and soul; pure in conscience ; 
free from all vain thoughts and from all evil 
desires ; resting not in the creature, but in God 
only, and loving Him alone and above all things. 
May God help us thereto. Amen. 


SERMON VII 


Our Lapy’s Canpie-Mass 
How we may offer ourselves, night and day, unto 
God in holy discipline; in prayer, in meditation, in 
beholding God, and by thanking God and praising 
Him; thereby following the example of the blessed 
Mother of God. 


Ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante faciem meam. 
BEHOLD I send My Angel, and he shall 
prepare the way before My Face. And 
presently the Lord, Whom ye seek, and the 
Angel of the Testament, Whom ye desire, shall 
come to His temple.’ 


1 Malach. iii. 1. 


58 THE INNER WAY 


To-day we would commemorate the fact, that 
the Lord, to Whom all time belongs, and by 
Whom the Law was made, subjected Himself to 
time and law, and offered Himself for us in the 
temple of His heavenly Father. It was not 
necessary that He, like any other firstborn son, 
should be sanctified; for all holy seasons and 
festivals, places and temples, are made holy by 
Him. Neither was it necessary for His blessed 
Mother to be purified, like other women, for she 
was shielded from all sin, and conceived and bare 
the Son of God by the operation of the Holy 
Ghost, remaining ever a virgin and adorned with 
all purity. Her purity was much greater than 
that of all Angels; for it is impossible to imagine 
greater purity apart from God. And yet she 
also subjected herself to the austere law, and 
offered her dear Child to the heavenly Father 
at the hands of the priest, and herself, not her 
Son, as a living sacrifice and to the praise of 
God, for the salvation of all men. 

Now, by this we are taught that we must, at 
all times, repress ourselves and become absorbed 
in deep humility, as those who have nothing and 
can do nothing of themselves, but that which is 
evil ; and that in the inner temples of our souls we 
must offer up ourselves, our own wills, and all 
that we have and are, in complete resignation to 
God at all times, with the Son in the Father, 
as an eternal sacrifice of praise. All that the 
Father has He gives to His Son; so dear is 
the Son, that the Father loves nothing but the 
Son; and those whom He finds united with the 


CANDLE-MASS 59 


Son, He loves in the Son. Therefore we must 
exert all the powers of our souls, and offer them 
to the Father in the Son, that they may be loved 
by Him in the Son, after the perfect pattern 1 
Mary, the most holy Virgin and Mother of God¥ 
Now, to-day, I will tell you something about 
her, how we may copy her holy life; because 
she was full of grace and virtue, and the mirror 
and exact reflection of all holiness. 

This gentle Virgin spent the whole of her life 
in such perfect love to God, in the inner temple 
of her heart, that she never loved any other 
creature beside God. Neither did any image 
ever come into her mind that interposed between 
her and her love of God. Her love to God 
was undivided, and she loved all creatures in 
Him. With all her powers she communed with 
herself in the depths of her heart, wherein the 
Divine Image lay hidden; there she dwelt in the 
innermost temple of her soul, and turned all her 
powers within, and prayed there to the one God 
in spirit and in truth. She confessed that she 
could not worthily praise God; therefore she 
desired that He would praise and magnify Him- 
self in her. She was so conformed to God from 
the very bottom of her heart, that if any one 
could have looked into it, he would have seen God 
in all His glory, and would have actually seen the 
procession of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; 
for her heart never turned away from God. 

Now, shall I tell you something about the 
devotional exercises of this Holy Virgin? They 
are, however, so divine and superhuman, so high 


60 THE INNER WAY 


and unfathomable, that they surpass the under- 
standing of men and of Angels. But of her 
lesser devotions ye shall know that she always 
got up at midnight, and lifted up her heart to the 
heavenly Father, in such rapt devotion, that it 
forced its way through heaven, and’ rested only 
in the Father’s Heart; and thus she stood 
absorbed in prayer till break of day. Oh! how 
blessed is he with whom she shares her gentle 
prayers, and for whom, with especially motherly 
love, she intercedes with her Son. 

Now, learn, that she knew that she was 
beloved and endowed above all other creatures 
by God; therefore, when she got up at mid- 
night, she fell on her knees in lowliness, and 
thanked God for His rich bounty, which He 
had poured out upon her. Then she offered 
herself and all that she had to God in prayer, 
and gave herself into God’s gentle keeping, that 
He might begin and accomplish His will in her, 
and in all that was hers. Thirdly, she prayed 
for all the members of the Holy Church, that 
all things might be ordered therein for the best 
in all godly honour; and for all sinners, that 
they might truly turn again unto salvation. And 
then she turned in her prayer to ail the poor 
souls in purgatory, for whom she had’ especial 
love, and besought God to set them’ free. 
Fourthly, she talked with God as a child 
might talk with his father, or one dearly loved 
to her beloved ; and then often, by the eye of 
faith she beheld the Divine Being, unveiled, in 
all His glory and beauty, and God spake with 


CANDLE-MASS 61 


her as with His dear and chosen spouse. Fifthly, 
_ she began to praise God in her prayer with such 
lively praise, that it seemed to come forth from 
a divine and blossoming garden that had been 
tended by God. Her praise was sweeter and 
purer, and more pleasing to God, than when He 
had created heaven and earth, the morning stars 
and the children of God praised Him. Sixthly, 
she sank down in her prayer into her own 
nothingness, and confessed that she could not 
worship the great God, nor praise Him ac- 
cording to His worthiness; and she desired of 
Him that He would be magnified in her ; and 
then she let all her powers sink down to the 
lowest depths, whence alone the Eternal God 
receives the prayer and praise that He loves 
best. 

Know also that, when she thus prayed, she 
withdrew her mind from all that was external, 
from all forms and figures, and continued thus, 
her whole mind being absorbed. Afterwards 
she meditated on the greatness and glory of 
the Lord, with Whom she desired to hold con- 
verse, though in her own sight she was a worth- 
less creature. Then she fell down at the Feet 
of the glorious God, and prayed in deep humility, 
and in earnest, fervent love and desire, and with 
heartfelt trust in the boundless love of God, 
that He would hear her, not according to her 
own will, but according to His. And she con- 
tinued in prayer from midnight till dawn, and 
from that time till Prime she devoted herself to 
holy meditations, in the best way that any 


62 THE INNER WAY 


creature ever did. First of all she meditated 
on the greatness and almightiness of the great 
God, whom she confessed as above all Angels. 
Then she sank down in her own littleness, in 
deep humility. Secondly, she meditated on the 
mysterious and unfathomable judgments of God, 
and on His wisdom, which is hidden from all 
creatures. Thirdly, on the fathomless goodness 
of God in His eternal love, which is the loving 
source of all that is good and gracious. Fourthly, 
she meditated on the overflowing sweetness of 
God, from whom she had received so much 
sweetness ; for, had she not been overshadowed 
by the Holy Ghost, her divine heart must have 
burst with love. Fifthly, she meditated with 
tearful eyes on the humility of her Child, Who 
had humbled Himself, and had so trodden the 
path of humiliation that it was impossible for 
Him to humble Himself any more. 

Sixthly, she meditated on the sufferings of 
her Child, how great and manifold they were ; 
and this she did with great compassion, for the 
meditation smote like a sword through her virgin 
heart and soul. Therefore hers was a martyr’s 
_ reward, as much as that of any other martyr. 
Then she meditated on the sufferings of her 
Child, desiring to imitate Him; for she be- 
thought herself how, at all times, her Child had 
been despised and had suffered; therefore she 
devoted all her life to suffering and to bearing 
oppression. She so entirely submitted herself, 
that she never prayed to God that her suffering 
might be shortened or lessened. She spent her 


CANDLE-MASS 63 


life in suffering, and bore it to the end with 
willing submission, willing even to suffer through- 
out eternity, if such were the will of God. 
Then she meditated again on the sufferings of 
her Child; how He had borne His suffering 
with great patience, without murmuring, rejoicing 
in spirit, because of His burning love and desire 
for us. Thus she also bore her suffering with- 
out murmuring and with burning love and joy. 

At the hour of Prime she went into the 
Temple, and betook herself to a corner with 
downcast eyes, and stayed there till mid-day. 
Mentally reaching out into eternity, she meditated 
on the commands and discourses of the Lord; 
‘then her soul was exalted, as in a divine vision, 
above all knowledge, and she was transfigured 
‘in spirit above all powers. Her memory shed a 
pure light, and remained in the unity of the 
spirit above all carnal suggestions. Her mind 
was transfused with clearness, so that she under- 
stood and discerned all the virtues, the ways, 
the discipline and the mysteries of Scripture 
with judgment. Her will was set alight with 
fervent heat, in silent love, passing beyond all 
created things. In this state of exaltation she 
was above all wisdom and all judgment. Here 
she received the outpouring of Divine Love, in 
silence, her spirit was steeped in the immaterial 
Spring, without any exercise of her own power. 
Here, above all things, she reposed in God, and, 
surrounded by Love unfathomable, she lost herself 
in the obscurity of the Godhead. She was 
united, without any intervention, and made one 


64 THE INNER WAY 


spirit with God, above all created gifts, graces 
and lights, in one single light that renewed itself 
unceasingly in the depths of her heart, in the 
highest exaltation of spirit. In this she had 
some conception of future blessedness, and she 
loved God with eternal, uncreated love. All 
created gifts, virtues, works and discipline, with 
all that pertained to the creature, must here 
remain without, for she was moulded herein with 
divine brightness above all sense and imagination. 
She saw the eternal lights and scenes, as they 
were beholden in eternity, with unspeakable and 
divine joy and pleasure. Know that, were all 
the delights and joys of the world melted down 
altogether, they would be nothing but bitterness, 
compared with the least divine joy such as that 
ever received by the Mother of God. 

Now, know, that the Blessed Virgin possessed 
one grace above all other human beings; to 
whatever heights she might be caught up and 
entranced, beholding God in the light of God, 
she saw, none the less, all other things, and 
attended to them. ‘Thus she could even order 
her outer life in calm and holy conduct, without 
disturbing her inner life ; for her highest powers 
‘communed directly with their Source, and were 
united thereto, so that the lowest were obedient 
to the highest, as those of Adam had been in 
Paradise. This grace was hers, because she. 
never inherited original sin; for she had been 
preserved from this by her Child; so that never 
for an instant had she been the child of wrath, or 
an unclean vessel, under the power of the Devil, 


CANDLE-MASS 65 


like the rest of mankind. The Eternal Wisdom 
prevented and would not allow this chosen 
Temple to be thus defiled. Therefore, during 
this inner vision and absorption in God, she 
could listen with her outward ears, with diligence 
and devotion and deep humility of heart, to 
Divine Service ; it gave her no trouble, but was 
delightful and desirable above all things to her 
at this time. Then, when towards mid-day she 
went home, she was often fed by the Angels. 

In the afternoon, if it was not a Holy day, she 
worked, till Vespers, with her blessed hands, 
and did everything, however small it might be, 
with especial intention to the glory of God. 
But, if it was a Holy day, after she had praised 
God, she went to hear the Word of God, and 
listened to it with great humility, however plainly 
it might be spoken, and though she understood 
it better herself; and she stamped it earnestly 
in her pure heart, earnestly desiring to experience 
the least as well as the greatest. When the 
Word of God was not preached, she spoke or 
listened to others, speaking of God and of the 
Divine Life; or she read the Scriptures till 
Vespers. Then she sang her Psalms and said 
her prayers till Compline. 

Then, when night came on, she communed 
with herself in holy meditation, and meditated on 
the perfect Life of her Child and her Lord, and 
on this sweet doctrine ; and her heart was filled 
with joyful and eternal sweetness. Afterwards 
she would thank God on her knees that He had 
so graciously looked upon her on that and every 


E 


66 THE INNER WAY 


day ; and then, in meekness and thankfulness, 
the blessed Virgin Mary laid herself to rest. 
Hosts of Angels surrounded her holy bed, so that 
no evil spirits might torment her; therefore she 
had no vain fancies or evil dreams, nor any other 
vision than that which God Himself gave to her ; 
for the Holy Trinity was ever her defence and 
shield. The blessed Virgin never lay down 
without first dedicating her sleep with her whole 
heart to the glory of God; and, thus united with 
God, she bowed her blessed head on the 
Heavenly Father’s Breast, and rested in peace. 
At midnight she began to pass the day again, 
as she had passed it before, in all holiness and 
virtue. 

This is related of a portion of her holy life, 
as in a mirror, that we may place it before us as 
our example, and, following it, may also remain 
faithful to God, and offer up ourselves wholly 
in the inner temples of our souls, according to 
our power. But that we may be able to do this, 
we must call on God unceasingly for His divine 
grace and help, and also on His dear Mother, 
to whom we should, at least once every day, 
give especial «honour and service. She will 
then, on her part, help us faithfully in our need, 
and especially in our last trial; for she is a 
mother of mercy and cannot reject any sinner 
who desires her help. Therefore St Bernard 
says: ‘He alone can keep silence about thy 
mercy, O blessed Virgin, who has called upon 
thee in his distress and has been forsaken by 
thee. For we, thy unworthy servants, rejoice 


ST AGATHA 67 


with thee in thy other virtues, but in this virtue 
we rejoice for ourselves. We praise thy virginity, 
we marvel at thy lowliness, but we embrace thy 
mercy more willingly ; the oftener we think of 
it, the oftener we appeal to it. Thou upholdest 
us, and forsakest not the miserable sinner, until 
thou seest that the terrible Judge is propitiated.”’ 
May we thus honour and follow this blessed 
Virgin and her Child, that we may attain to a 
portion with them in eternity. May God help 
us thereto. Amen. 


SERMON VIII 


On Tae Feast or St AGATHA, OR OF THE 
Ho ry Vireins 
That which is needful for a true virgin, that she 
may be pleasing unto God, for Whose sake she has 
despised the kingdom of the world; that waich may 
be sung of every holy virgin. 


Regnum mundi, et omnem ornatum sacu.t contempsi, 
propter amorem Domini mei, Jesu Christi. 


a "THE kingdom of this world and all secular 
adornment have I held in contempt, for 
the love of my Master Jesus Christ.”’ ! 

These words are sung by the Holy Church 
in the person of every spiritual spouse of Christ, 
who has given herself to Him that she may be 
ever faithful in doing His will and service. Now 
mark, dear children, what qualifications such 


1 Responsory in 3rd Nocturn of the Commune non 
virginum. 


68 THE INNER WAY 


a bride and virgin of God must possess, who 
desires to be pleasing and acceptable unto God ; 
so that, at last, He may espouse her unto Him- 
self for ever; when her soul: will be so com- 
pletely united with Him, that she ‘will never 
again be parted from Him throughout eternity, 
nor He from her. 

The first qualification is, that a virgin cannot 
please God, unless she despises the kingdom of 
this world and all its pomp. | She must diligently 
guard against pride, vain-glory, the desire to 
please people outwardly, either in her person 
with the adornment of clothes, or with any 
fleeting things. She must leave all these for 
God’s sake ; and not, only the things pertaining 
to the body, but also, to’the mind: the spiritual 
world and all its adornments, which consist of 
pride, vain-glory, a good outward appearance, 
and spiritual words out of a worldly heart; in 
excessive joys of the heart in spiritual gifts 
or virtues, or satisfaction in personal goodness. 


These things happen to and befall the virgins 


of Christ in so. many ways, that it is not easy to_ 
say how the Enemy dares to deceive these pure — 


hearts. 


The second qualification is, that she must guard | 


herself diligently against worldly customs and 
conduct, and against all harmful habits, both out- 
wardly and inwardly. She must not be proud in 
heart or haughty in bearing before other people; 


she must’ not boast nor hold herself in high 


esteem because she is wise! or prudent, nor try 


to defend herself when she is despised or” 


ST AGATHA  . 69 


oppressed ; but with modest and soft words and 
demeanour, and in all lowliness, she must set 
herself to acknowledge and cure her faults. 

The third qualification is, that it is not enough 
for her to know that she must suffer; she must 
also resign herself completely in all that vexes 
her and brings her trouble. She must help to 
work in God’s vineyard with patience, in the 
pure ground of a humble heart, in which God 
only dwells ; for God only dwells in the heart 
of a virgin who abases herself, from the ground 
of her heart, in humility, beneath God and all 
men, and, if it must be, even unto death. By 
this complete self-annihilation a human being may 
win from and obtain from God all that he needs ; 
and more still ; for God comes to meet such with 
all His grace, and exalts them with all the honour 
with which He has honoured His Saints. 

/ The fourth qualification. It is necessary for a 
good virgin, in this life, to be chastened, de- 
spised, rejected, ill-used and rebuked, even as 
the Canaanitish woman was treated by Christ. 
And thus He treats, even now, all His chosen 
ones, who are especially dear to Him, and. on 
whom He will lavish His especial grace. 
_Inwardly He will chastise them severely, and 
treat them hardly; and outwardly also He 
ordains that they shall be trodden under foot by 
everyone; men shall speak evil of them; and 
they shall be despised in their own eyes with 
wanton falsehood.. Then will the virgin of 
Christ despise herself utterly, and suppress her- 
self in true humility, and rejoice in it for the 


40 THE INNER WAY 


sake of God, and think of herself as unworthy 
of all this suffering, thanking God that He has 
thus especially endowed her as His own. 

The fifth qualification. It also appertains to 
such a virgin, that she should not only be despised 
here of men, but that she should also despise 
herself, and suffer patiently all that happens to” 
her, concealing it in her heart and complaining 
to no one. We often see virgins ready in words” 
to despise themselves before men, saying: ‘*‘ We 
are all sinners,’” who would nevertheless take it 
very ill, if anyone else said it of them ; and thus” 
we discover that it is all pride. A virgin who 
is not humble at heart may be known, when 
anything happens to her untowardly, though it 
were only a word ; for she is indignant at once, 
she is offended with what is said to her, and 
begins to excuse herself immediately. She 
cannot bear anyone to say anything that is” 
insulting to her honour, or that would cause 
her to be despised; and yet she wishes to be 
considered humble. No, dear child, all the 
contempt and scorn that a man is ready to 
pour out upon himself has no real ground in 
humility ; but, when he is despised and scorned 
by another who is his equal, or still more, by 
one who is his inferior, he is cut to the quick ; 
and then a man will learn to know how little 
humble and patient he really is. | 

The sixth qualification. A good virgin never 
wastes her time by any neglect or carelessness ; 
but, her heart filled with longing and devotion, 


she meditates on the Sufferings of her beloved 


| 


ST AGATHA 71 


Lord Jesus, and His Five Wounds; she knows of 
nothing better that she can do ; for nothing can be 
more useful to her than to spend her time in medi- 
tation on the Life and Sufferings of our Lord, 
for Whom she has forsaken all things. It is the 
nature of all good virgins to spend the whole of 
their lives in work, both outwardly and inwardly, 
for the glory of God; to pray for the salvation 
of all men; and to offer themselves up for the 
infirmities of the common people, both the evil 
and the good. If the virgin of Christ be left to 
herself, all love and devotion to God being with- 
drawn from her ; if thus, bare, poor and miserable, 
she still serves God; then God is honoured by 
her, and has peculiar delight in her. 

The seventh qualification. She must look to 
God, and think only of Him in all her 
occupations ; and she must be indifferent to 
all outward things; and she must do what is 
right, as though she did nothing, while she 
looks upon all real afflictions as though they 
did not concern her. Such an handmaid of the 
Lord desires to suffer shame and scorn from all 
men, to the glory of God, and desires neither 
power nor honour. She cannot exempt herself 
from anything, for the Holy Ghost directs her. 
At times such people are obliged to take pre- 
cedence of others; but then they do it with 
great courtesy and great humility, and carry 
out that which Christ said: “Let him that 
is the greater among you become as he that 
serveth.”’ 

The eighth qualification. This virgin of Christ 


72 THE INNER WAY 


must fight against all earthly transitory things, 
honour and desires. As soon as these desires 
begin to lose their strength in her heart, she will 
be attacked by spiritual pride; that is by self- 
satisfaction, and the desire for temporal honour, 
which can really be driven out by none other 
but by God. For, howeyer holy a man may 
be, he will have to fight to the end, and chiefly 
against spiritual pride. Although in these truly 
humble virgins neither pride nor covetousness, 
nor hatred can find a resting-place, yet they are 
nevertheless much tempted at times by idleness, 
appetite and unholy thoughts, which arise from 
their nature, and are the temptations of the flesh, 
which have not as yet been overcome ; and this 
temptation is very useful to them. For, be- 
cause these lovers of God care for nothing but 
suffering, shame, and all that is painful, both out- 
wardly and inwardly, for the sake of the love of 
Christ, and seek only visions of God and inner 
delight, finding therein more joy and satisfaction 
than in all the eternal consolation that all created 
things could give them, therefore no temptation 
can be hurtful to them. Neither will any impulse 
to sin from lower motives affect them, for their 
wil] and their desire is that they may always 
have something to suffer, and that in true humility 
they may be found well-pleasing unto God, Who 
loves them. That we may thus preserve this 
state of virginity, may God help us. Amen. 


THE ANNUNCIATION 73 


SERMON Ix 


On THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR Lapy 


How we must commune with God and commit our- 
selves to Him, that we may conceive God and bear 
Him in our spirits, souls and bodies, after the example 
of the blessed Mother of God. 


Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, Benedicta tu 
in mulieribus. 


oS HAL. full of grace, the Lord is with thee, 
blessed art thou among women.” ! 

This festival is one of great dignity, and shows 
the eternal fervent love whereby the God of 
Gods and Lord of Lords, the Son of God 
had compassion on us poor sinful and accursed 
brands of hell. When He was in His Divine 
Glory, He ‘thought it not robbery,” as St Paul 
says, “to be equal with God; but emptied 
Himself, taking the form of a servant, being 
made in the likeness of men, and in habit found 
as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming 
obedient unto death, even to the death of the 
Cross.”’2 None can speak enough of this love, 
nor praise God, nor thank Him enough for it ; 
for it is beyond the understanding of men and 
of Angels that our Lord, our God and Supreme 
Judge, should become our Father, our Brother 
and our Husband. He has taken our guilt and 
condemnation upon Himself, and has redeemed 
us by His bitter Death, and has made us the 


1Luke i. 28. 2Phil. ii. 7, 8. 


74 THE INNER WAY 


children of everlasting life, and has brought us 
back to our first glory. Yea, and beyond, for 
we have become like unto the Angels; and we 
now possess more righteousness and are nearer 
akin unto God than the Archangels. 

O, the goodness of God! Who can so with- 
stand this great love, that he does not love and 
praise Thee with all his powers? ‘This work of 
our redemption makes Thee dear to us above 
all things. It is a work which has no like; 
humility unbounded, grace undeserved, a gift 
without return. This work claims our love, 
draws our wills gently, and unites our desires 
firmly and justly to hee. But what can we 
give to Thee, dear Lord Jesus, in return for all 
the great goodness that Thou hast shown to us? 
In return for my destruction of the soul Thou 
gavest me by creation, Thou hast given it back 
to me by redemption; so that 1 am doubly 
indebted to Thee, to give it wholly again to 
Thee. But what can I return to Thee, dear 
Lord Jesus, for that Thou hast given Thy Soul 
for mine? For, if I could give my soul again 
to Thee a thousand times, how should I thereby 
be any the more like unto my Lord, Who gave 
Himself even unto death for me? 

Dear children, this great love can never be 
repaid by us; but we must do our best, and give 
to Him again, on our own account, all that we 
are, all that we have, and all that we can do; like 
His dear Mother, the blessed Virgin, who did 
this most faithfully and most perfectly. I will 
tell you something about this in a figure, that ye 


ail 


THE ANNUNCIATION 75 


also may become the mothers of our Lord in 
spirit, and that ye may commit yourselves unto 
God, that He may be conceived and born in 
your souls. 

Now, learn, how the blessed Virgin was 
prepared when she should conceive the Son of 
God, though her holiness cannot be perfectly 
comprehended even by the understanding of 
Angels. According to the meaning of the letters 
of her name, Mary, she was raised up in the 
three highest powers of her soul unto God, she 
became one spirit with God, and she was taught 
by Him; for she resigned herself as a fitting 
instrument to His dear Will, in fervent love for 
His glory. She was poor in spirit, and always 
bore herself in God with deep humility and 
self-annihilation ; for she had no desires, no will, 
and was as passive, as though she were un- 
created. And thus an entrance was made for 
God into her spirit, soul and body. She was 
pure in spirit, for she never clung with delight 
to the gifts of God, and did not use them for 
her own pleasure. She was pure in soul, for 
she never delighted in any creature, but her soul 
was adorned with all virtues. She was pure in 
heart and body, for she was never moved to 
sin; and thus she was like unto the bright and 
shining Angels. Although she was the most 
beautiful of all women, yet none could look upon 
her with evil’ desires, because of her angelic 
purity. She was fervent in spirit, for her sweet 
ecstasy and longing so moved the Divine God- 
head that the fervent love of the Holy Trinity 


rs 


76 THE INNER WAY | 


welled forth and was poured out upon her. She 
was fervent in soul, for all the powers of her 
soul were always lifted up in the praise of God. 
She was fervent in heart, for her heart was 
opened unto the Lord, and it penetrated with 
jfervent longings the incomprehensible depths of 
the Godhead; for she found there that which 
she most loved ; and, by her inner sweetness, she 
was well-pleasing unto the Almighty, clinging to 
the Eternal Wisdom in her beauty, and bringing 
down jthe Eternal Goodness by her love to fill 
her with all things and to give her power over 
all that He had; for she lived not to herself 
but to Him alone, Who is the Life. of all living. 
From first to last all that she did was done in 
God, and was full of a pure and godlike inten- 
tion; for she was at all times united with God, 
and never turned away for an instant from His 
Presence. Therefore the likeness of no creature 
was ever found in her or had access to her ; for, 
with the Angels, she looked on all things simply 
in God; and found God alone at all times in the 
depths and very being of her soul, in the inner- 
most parts of her spirit. Therefore she did not 
go forth with all her powers to seek for great- 
ness and variety, but at all times she abode 
simply outside herself in God and God in 
her. Most perfectly and with all her powers 
she meditated on the Source from. Which she 
came. Poor, pure, fervent and divine, she was 
more like a heavenly creature than an earthly 
one; in spirit she was the Heaven of God; 
in her soul the' Paradise! of God; in her body 


THE ANNUNCIATION 77 


the Palace of God; and she was filled with 
the Divine Brightness, so that she needed no 
mediator with God. 

Now, ye shall know, hirehien! that God de- 
sired to be conceived and born of this Holy 
Virgin in three ways; that is in her spirit, soul 
and body. She would not have been so blessed 
by the birth of the body only, as St Augustine 
says, and as our Lord also implies in the 
Gospel, when He answered: ‘ Blessed are they 
who hear the Word of God and keep it.’”?} 
Therefore she first conceived and bare God 
in her’ spirit; for by her purity she was well- 
pleasing unto God; by her lowliness she made 
a place for God; and by her love she con- 
strained God, so that He took up His abode 
in the depths of her spirit, in calm and absolute 
freedom and silence. God united Himself with *’ 
her spirit, and spake to her His secret Word, 
and bare His only Son in her spirit with un- 
speakable love and joy. “This is the Eternal 
Birth in Mary; and the darkness of night in 
her spirit, where the understanding is darkened. 
Where the uncreated light arises, no created 
light can abide; for night is. turned into day; 
that is, the created light of the soul is transformed 
into the Light of Eternity. Thus Mary yielded 
up her spirit to the uncreated Being of the 
Godhead, and her soul sank down in deep 
humility. 

Thereby she drew down the sweet stream 
and light of Eternal Wisdom into her soul; and 

1 Luke xi. 28. 


78 THE INNER WAY 


the Father begat His only Son in ‘her soul, and 
fashioned her anew in Himself. The Father 
required of her, that she should consent, thereto 
that His only Son should take His Human Nature 
upon Himself in her, and should be born of her 
in body, by the working of the Holy Ghost. 
She was afraid in true humility, and answered 
Him in spirit with fear: “I am not worthy, 
for I would gladly be the handmaid of such a 
mother.” But God willed that she herself 
should be the Mother; then she sank. down in 
utter self-abasement, and it was made known 
unto her that she had been chosen thereto; God 
required, this of her and mot anything else. 
Then the Holy Trinity shone upon her with 
a supernatural light and transparent clearness, 
and with a ray or dart of Divine Love she was 
transfixed in the inmost parts, so that she humbly 
and lovingly consented to be the Mother of 
God. 

At the same instant the angel Gabriel stood 
by her and found her exalted in spirit. He 
greeted her reverently, saying: ‘ Hail, full of 
grace, the Lord is with thee.”’! She was 
troubled by this lofty greeting, because of her 
deep humility, and also because she was entirely 
, absorbed in’ God. ‘Then, when she spake; 
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” 2 the 
Holy Ghost took of the purest blood of her 
virgin heart, that had been set alight by the 
powerful flame of love, and. created therewith a 
pure and perfect little Body, with all its members, 

1 Luke i. 28. 2 Luke i. 38. 


THE ANNUNCIATION 79 


and a pure and holy Soul, and united them to- 

gether. This, the Person of the Son of God, 

who is the Eternal Word, and the Brightness 

of the Glory of the Father, took unto Himself 

and united it with Himself in Unity of Persons, 
and out of true love and mercy for our salvation. 
Thus “the Word was made flesh and dwelt 
among us.” 

This is the third birth that took place in the 
virgin body of Mary, without hurt to her virginal 
_ purity; and thus she became the Daughter of the 
_ Father ; the Mother of the Son; the Bride of 
the Holy Ghost; the Queen of Heaven; the 
Mistress of the world and of all creatures; the 
Mother of all men who desire her help; the 
Temple of God, wherein God has rested as a 
Bridegroom in His chamber in great bliss; for the 
Virgin’s body was as a garden full of sweet-smell- 
ing herbs and of all kinds of virtues and graces. 
_ With these virtues she caused the Heaven of the 
Holy Trinity to flow with honey for us poor 
sinners. She has brought forth the Sun of 
Righteousness, she has chased away the curse of 
Eve, and bruised the head of the wicked serpent. 
AThis second Eve, with her Child, has restored 
all that the first Eve had lost and destroyed ; 
she has, besides, brought much more grace and 
wealth. This is the noble Star which arose out 
‘of Jacob, which was prophesied in a Book of 
Moses, whose light shall lighten the whole world. 

“Therefore,” says Bernard, ‘‘in all thy need, 
fix thine eyes on this Star, call on Mary, and 
_ then thou wilt not despair, follow Mary and thou 


80 THE INNER WAY 


canst not go astray. She will hold thee up, by 
the power of her Child, so that thou wilt not 
fall; she will protect thee, so that thou wilt not 
despond ; she will lead thee to her Child, so 
that thou mayest overcome.’? She has the 
power, indeed; for the Almighty God is her 
Child ; she is indeed willing to do this, for she 
is merciful. For who can doubt that a child 
would honour his mother, or that she overflows 
with love, in whom God Himself has dwelt. 
; He, therefore, who desires to commune more 
| and more with himself; and to find himself in 
“his Source, in God, and to be conscious of God 
in his heart (which is conformed to God' and 
inclines to Him, and cleaves to God, as a ray 
to the sun) he must copy the likeness and the 
bright mirror of our Lady, and comport him- 
self as she did, both outwardly and inwardly ; 
then he will become conscious in himself of great 
help from her, both in spirit and in nature. 
First, he must turn away from all transitory 
things, and gather up the powers of his mind, 
and commune with himself, and pass over out of 
self into God, Who is present within him, in the 
innermost parts of his spirit, wherein are the three 
highest powers of the soul, that there he may be 
.united with and become one spirit with God ; 
and there God will work in him. His memory 
will be made fruitful, his understanding will be 
transfigured, his will inflamed and inebriated with 
Divine Love. God Himself becomes the Food of 
his spirit, the Life of his soul, and the Preserver 
and Guardian of his body. Therefore at all 


. 
1 
' 


THE ANNUNCIATION § 81 


times we ought to commune with the image or 
the ground of our souls, where the three powers 
of our souls are one with God, that we may be 
united with God, poor in spirit, soul and body, 
fervent, and communing with God with all our 
powers, so that we may begin and end all our 
works with a pure intention to the glory of 
God ; for thus it was written beforetimes of the 
blessed Mother of God. Thus we must remain, 
empty, bare and dead to all around us, that all 
the powers of our souls may continue in the place 
appointed for them, and our wills, desires and 
intentions may be obedient to God in all things, 
that God may work with us according to His 
dear will. Then man will be lifted up in him- 
self by God above all powers into the wilderness 
of the Godhead, his spirit will sink deep in the 
_ Divine Union, and his whole being will be saturated 
_ with the Divine Being, so that the Divine Birth 
will take place without let or hindrance in our 
| spirits, in our souls, and also spiritually in our 
bodies, from the gifts which break forth and 
overflow from soul and spirit into the body. 
_ That we may now and later, receive blessings 
through the intercession of the dear Mother 
of God, let us call on her with St Bernard,. 
'who says: ‘Through thee must we find an 
entrance to thy Son, O blessed finder of grace, 
bearer of life, mother of holiness, that He may 
receive us through thee, Who was given to us 
through thee. Thy purity must exonerate the 
guilt of our uncleanness in His sight, and thy 
: humility, so pleasing unto God, must win pardon 


F 


82 THE INNER WAY 


for our vanity, thy overflowing love must cover 
the multitude of our sins. Thy honourable 
fruitfulness gains for us the fruitfulness of thy 
merits. O, elect Lady, our mediator and 
\ intercessor, commend us to thy Son, intercede 
for us with thy Son. Do thou see to it, O blessed 
one, by the grace that thou hast found, the 
election that thou hast earned, and the mercy 
that thou hast borne, that He Who condescended 
through thee to take our sicknesses and our 
misery upon Him, may also by His intercession 
enable us to participate in His glory and blessed- 
ness,” Jesus Christ, Who with Father and the 
Holy Ghost is blessed for ever. Amen. 


SERMON X 


On tHe Nativity oF Jonn THE Baptist 
Tue First Sermon 
Of the spiritual Birth of Divine Grace in man from 
the ground of humility, and the acknowledgment 


of his own frailty. How man may ever attain more 
and more to a Birth so full of Grace. 


Johannes est nomen ejus. 


“ JOHN is his name.” ! 

To-day we read of and celebrate the 
birthday of Saint John the Baptist. The 
birthday of no other saint is kept in this way, 
only that of this holy Baptiser of God. The 
name of John means one in the state of grace. 
This must always precede the birth of grace. 


1 Luke i. 63. 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 83 


_ I spoke yesterday of two kinds of affliction. 
The first is in our nature, and results from the 
first Fall of man; the second is an affliction of 
blindness. Man is prone to sin from the 
beginning ; it is rooted in his nature. This 
affliction ought always to be repugnant to man; 
and he should turn away from it with all his 
might, because it is hateful to God. The 
second kind of affliction is the result of the first ; 
it is pain and misery. When this kind of 
affliction falls upon man, it ought to be acceptable 
and pleasing unto him, so that he may be able to 
follow therein the Example of our Lord, Who 
throughout Elis whole life always endured great 
and grievous sufferings. 

Now God often allows the affliction of frailty 
to come upon men, that in their downfall they 
may learn to know themselves better, and to love 
and remain willingly in the way of blindness, in 
affliction, however it may chance to fall upon 
them. Children, it were good for them to 


resolve to remain in this way. Man must 


_ always learn to abase himself in this most blessed. 


way of blindness, in disease, in doing nothing 
and in being nothing. Oh! he who would thus 
exercise himself in this way and understand it, 
disciplining himself only by despising unceasingly 


his own want of power; in this man, verily, 


would the grace of God beborn. Man possesses 
nothing of himself; all comes from God only, 
without any intervention; all things both great 
and small come from Him; not from man him-= 
self; for he corrupts all that is good, both out- 


84 THE INNER WAY 


wardly and inwardly; and, if there be anything 
good, it is none of his. Man must never forget 
this ; he must look into his own nothingness and 
see how inclined he is to all that is evil, when- 
ever nature is allowed her own way. He must 
be very diligent in learning to know himself ; 
on what foundation he rests, his opinions, his 
love, his diligence; whether, perchance, ill 
weeds have grown up in his heart. The heart 
must be pure, only revealing itself to God; and 
it must have no thoughts but of Him. Also, thou 
must examine thine outer walk, thy words and 
works, thy customs and position, thy clothes and 
thy companions, from all sides. Wherever thou 
findest that something or other has gone wrong 
in thy life, thou must in sorrow bewail it unto 
God, and acknowledge thy guilt, and send up a 
sigh to God; and thus it is immediately con- 
demned. This inner groaning from the depths of 
the heart is very useful and good. The Apostles 
did not experience it on account of their sins, 
but on account of all the evil that remained in 
man; and they exercised it unceasingly, because 
of the many ways by which they came to God. 
Thus, when a glimpse and taste of unity [with 
God ] is made known unto man, an inner groaning 
is born in him, which passes out through his outer 
senses. This is truly the altar which stands outside, 
before the Holy of Hollies, where the goats and 
oxen are offered to God. Thus man also offers 
his flesh and blood to Jesus Christ. By this 
contemplation of his own frailty, man must 
humble himself, casting himself down at the 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 85 


Feet of God, that He may have mercy on him. 
He must hope that God will pass over his 
guilt; and thus John, that is grace, is born out 
of the ground of humility; for the lower we 
get the higher we shall be. St Bernard says: 
« All acts of discipline that are done outwardly 
are in no wise to be compared to those which 
man does in the valley of humiliation.’ In this 
valley grow meekness, goodness, calmness and 
patience ; and this is truly the right way. 
Those who do not walk in this way must 
assuredly go astray. And, however much they 
may do in outward discipline, it will not really 
help them at all; they will anger God much 
more than they will appease Him. 

Now we will proceed with the Gospel. Here 
is a portion of it. Zacharias was the high 
priest. He and his wife were barren; and this 
Was a great disgrace to him. Zacharias went 
into the Holy of Holies, and the people remained 
without, standing, while he executed the priestly 
function. Then the angel Gabriel stood by the 
altar and announced to him that a child should be 
born unto him who should be called John, which 
means that he was given in grace. Zacharias 
did not fully believe this; therefore he became 
dumb till all had been fulfilled. 

The word Zacharias means “thinking of 
God,” or “‘the remembrance of God.” This 
godly man, that is a spiritual man, must be a 
priest, and must go into the Holy of Holies 
while the people remain without. Now, mark, 
what his nature is, what his office is, and whose 


86 THE INNER WAY 


priest he is. The office of the priest is to offer 
God’s only-begotten Son to His heavenly Father 
for the people. Now I fear, and it is most 
probable, that all priests are not perfect ; and, if 
some priests were to represent Christianity in 
their own persons, they would be more likely to 
hinder and lead others astray than to help them ; 
and they would anger rather than appease God. 
But they execute their holy office in the 
person and in the place of the Holy Catholic 
Church ; therefore they execute their office sacra- 
mentally ; and in this way it can be done by men 
only. They, and no others, as clergy, may 
consecrate and bless the sacred Body of our 
Lord; inasmuch as they are priests in all that 
belongs to their office, that is to the sacrifice. 
In a spiritual sense it may be done as well by 
a woman as by a man. If a woman does it in 
this way, she enters into the Holy of Holies, 
and the common people remain without. She 
must enter in alone; she must collect her 
thoughts, and commune with her own heart ; 
and she must leave all things pertaining to the 
senses without, and offer to the Heavenly Father, 
the Sacrifice of Love; namely, His dear Son, with 
all His Words, His Works, His Suffering and 
Holy Life, that she may obtain all that she desires 
and all that is her intention. This she must do in 
deep devotion, including all men, all poor sinners, 
the good, and those who are imprisoned in the 
fires of purgatory; for by this means she will 
have great power. 
Albertus Magnus writes that the custom of 


: 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 87 


the high priest was as follows: ‘He went 


into the Holy of Holies, and took with Him 
the blood of a red heifer, and fire that was 
burning. When he entered in, he put the blood 
on all the golden vessels, and made a heap of the 
finest herbs, and lighted it; and a sweet smelling 
savour arose therefrom, like unto a mist; then 
God came and spake with him.” 

This high priest is the inner man, who thus 
enters into his inmost soul, bearing with him the 
Sacred Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
fire of devotion and love, and all the golden 
vessels which are marked with this Blood, even 
all those who have received the grace of God, 
and all those who shall yet receive it, and the 
poor souls who still wait in purgatory. All shall 
be comforted and uplifted by this priestly office. 
Children, ye know not how sweet this is. This 
man shall also raise himself up thereby, even 
unto the Heart of the Father, and His Fatherly 
Will; and in Him he shall do whatever pleases 
Him in time and eternity. 

Some say: “If we commune with our hearts 
after this inward fashion, we shall allow the 
image of our Lord’s Sufferings to escape us.”’ 
No, children, ye must look into your own hearts, 
where grace only can be born in truth; and there 
the Life and Sufferings of our Lord will gleam 
and shine in upon you, in sweet love and 
simplicity, in a single vision. It will seem as 
though all stood before you; not in its own 
many-sidedness, as I might see you all in one 
glance, but as though each one stood alone 


88 THE INNER WAY 


before me. This vision will be more useful to 
thee, than standing for five months in thought, 
striving to understand. During this sacred 
priestly office, when the man has entered alone, 
and is standing in silence, with all his powers on 
the alert, Gabriel, the Angel of God, is standing 
by the altar, where the divine and holy office 
is to be performed. Gabriel means the divine 
power that will be given to this priest, that he 
may be able to do all things in our Lord. This 
priest makes a heap of herbs, and sets it alight ; 
and a smoke arises therefrom in which God 
speaks to him. This heap represents a collec- 
tion of holy virtues, such as humility, meekness, 
and many other virtues of that description ; for 
the life of a man who has no virtues, and does 
Not strive to get them, either in the lowest, the 
middle, or the highest grade, is all false and 
worthless. A fire is kindled in this collection 
by the flame of love; and a mist and darkness 
arise, in which thy spirit will be caught away, 
perhaps for the space of half an “ Ave Maria,” 
aud thou wilt be robbed of thy senses and of thy 
reason. In this darkness God will speak to 
thee in truth, as it is written: Dum medium 
silentium, &c. For, when silence reigned oyer 
all things, and the night of darkness had run its 
course, these words were sent from above from 
the kingly Throne. Here a secret word was 
spoken, and the ears caught the sound thereof, 
Here was foretold the birth of him, who was 
to be great and at whose birth many should 
rejoice. He was to be born of Elizabeth ; which — 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 89 


means that there would be a divine fulfilment ; 
for thus it had been prophesied, that this joyful 
birth should take place. But all this took place 
in the lowest powers. Now come those who 
are wise in their own eyes, and whose empty, 
bare, uncultured hearts are lighted only by the 
light of nature; for they have nothing but the 
light of nature, and that which pertains thereto; 
it is to them as God, and yet it is nothing but 
their nature. There is however more delight 
therein than in all sensual delights; and when 
they act thus themselves, and are endowed. with 
these qualities, they become the worst and the 
most harmful of men. They may be known by 
the following signs. They do not walk in the 
paths of virtue and the discipline which belongs 
to a holy life. They give no heed to the 
destruction of vice; for they love their own 
false poverty, which has never been tested by 
real love, either from within or from without; 
and they have long ago parted with its likeness. 
Then the Devil comes, and lures them with false 
sweetness and false light; and thus he leads 
them astray, that they may be lost eternally. 
He leads them into whatsoever he finds them 
most inclined to by nature: unchastity, or 
covetousness, or pride; and they speak of their 
inner experiences and the lights which the Devil 


holds before them, as though they were of God; 


_ and they will not allow themselves to be separated 


from that which they have made their own. 
Thus, seeking those things to which they are 
inclined. by nature, they fall into unholy license. 


go THE INNER WAY 


These men must be shunned even more than the 
Enemy ; for, as far as man can see, in their out- 
ward appearance they are so like righteous men, 
that it is hard to distinguish them. But the 
righteous differ from them by walking in the 
paths of virtue—humility, fear, resignation and 
meekness.. They are full of fear, and dare not 
allow themselves any liberty. They never trust 
in themselves ; they are in much perplexity and 
difficulty, and long for the help of God. But 
those who think themselves to be free are bold, 
wilful, contentious and impatient; and any one 
who approaches them ‘soon finds that they are 
in difhculties, full of bitterness, angry words, 
and pride, and will neither be despised nor dis- 
paraged. Oh! what marvellings and lamenta- 
tions there will be over that which now looks so 
beautiful, in another world, where they will not 
be able to turn either one way or the other, 
where they must burn for ever. I counsel you 
in all faithfulness to guard yourselves from this. 
Oh! dear children, turn your eyes inwardly, 
where this birth must really be born, which will 
cause great joy throughout Christendom. Now, 
ye need no longer be anxious whether ye are 
right or wrong. Ye have had the difference 
clearly placed before you, if ye will consider 
whether ye have chosen the right or the crooked 
path ; whether ye have walked in the safe path 
of virtue, and whether ye have taken it in the 
lowest, the middle, or the highest grade. When 
this birth takes place, there is such great joy of 
heart, that none can express it. May God 


JOHN THE BAPTIST gt 


preserve all, so that none may be led astray, 
and be drawn away and diverted. Our Lord 
says in the Book of Love: “I adjure you, by the 


_ roes and the harts of the fields, that ye make not 


My beloved to awake till she please.’”’! Again, 
they must not question unwise teachers, who 
might prove so misleading, that some might be 
tempted away, and never return for forty or fifty 


_ years. These men must give heed to themselves ; 
_ for this joy is so great that it wells up like wine 


fermenting in the barrel. It is better that it 
should burst forth, than that nature should be 
too weak, and blood should pour from nose and 


mouth. © But this is still far removed from the 


highest grade, still remaining below in the senses. 

But the Angel said that he who should be 
born, must “drink no wine nor strong drink ;”’ 
which means that the man in whom this birth 
was to be born would be led by the upper way, 
in the highest grade; for he should be good, 
better and the very best. These men must not 
drink anything that can intoxicate, like those, of 


whom we have already spoken, who were in- 


toxicated by pleasure, which was poured out for 
them, either in a real or imaginary way, either 
by sight or by use; but they are placed in and 
led along a narrow way, which is also dark and 
dreary. There they find themselves unbearably 
oppressed, so that they cannot get out; and, 
whichever way they turn, they find fathomless 
misery, and all is desert, dark and drear. They 
must face it, and in all their ways trust in the 
1 Cant. ii. 7. 


92 THE INNER WAY 


Lord, as long as it pleases Him ; and, lastly, the 
Lord makes as though He knew nothing of their 
pain and torment ; all seems unbearable need and 
great longing ; but still they are resigned. This 
is a thorough cleansing, which corresponds to the 
highest reward ; for other men there are corre- 
sponding rewards. 

St Thomas says of this: <¢Great external 
works, however great they may be, inasmuch as 
they are works, have their own reward. But 
when the Spirit looks within, to the Spirit of 
God, from the ground of the heart, where man, 
empty and bare of all works, seeks God only, 
far above all thoughts, works and reason, it is 
truly a thorough conversion, which will ever 
meet with a corresponding reward, and God will 
be with him.”? \Another conversion may take 
place in an ordinary external way, whenever man 
turns to God, thinking wholly and entirely of 
Him, and of nothing else but of God for Him- 
self and in Himself. But the first turning is in 
an inner, undefined, unknown presence, in an 
immaterial entrance of the created spirit into the 
uncreated Spirit of God. If a man could only 
once in his life thus turn to God, it would be 
well for him. ‘Those men whose God is so 
powerful, and Who has been so faithful to them 
in all their distress, will be answered by, God 
with Himself. He draws them so mysteriously 
unto Himself and His own blessedness ;. their 
spirits are so lovingly attracted, while they, are 
at the same time so filled and transfused with the 
Godhead, that they lose all their diversity in the 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 93 


Unity of the Godhead. These are they to whom 
God makes their work here on earth a delight ; 
so that they have a real foretaste of that which 
they will enjoy for ever. These are they on 
whom the Holy Christian Church rests ; and, if 
they did not form part of Christianity, Christianity 
could no longer exist; for their mere existence, 
what they are, is infinitely worthier and more 
useful than all the doings of the world. These 
are they of whom our Lord has said: “ He that 
toucheth you, toucheth the apple of Mine eye.”’ 4 
Therefore, take heed that ye do them no wrong. 
May God help us. Amen. 


SERMON XI 


On tHe Feast or THE Nativiry oF St Joun 


tHE Baptist 
Tue SEeconp SERMON 


How man must prepare himself and hold himself 
in readiness to bear witness to the true Divine Light 
which shines into his heart, in the lowest and 
highest powers, and on which depend his Salvation 
and Blessedness. 

Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet 
de lumine 


BS Tas man came for a witness to give 
testimony of the light.” 2 

To-day the Church celebrates the Feast of 

St John the Baptist. To bless and to praise him 


in words only would be but a little thing for us 


1 Zach. ii. 8, 2 John i. 7. 


94 THE INNER) WAY) 


to do, because our Lord Himself has praised 
him worthily, and has said of him: “There 
hath not risen among them that are born of 
woman a greater than John the Baptist.’?! He 
also said of him: * But what went ye out to 
see? a man clothed in soft garments? or did 
ye go out into the desert to see a reed shaken 
with the wind?”’? No, he was none of these 
things. Jesus said of him: ‘ He is a voice of 
one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of 
the Lord, make straight his paths!’?? We 
sing of him that he was a burning lamp. St 
John the Evangelist, who is likened unto a 
soaring eagle, wrote of him that “he bore 
witness to the light.” 

Dear children, how could we praise this ex- 
alted prince of Heaven better, or more worthily, 
than with these words, “that he was a witness to 
the true Light?” This true Divine Light shines 
into the very depths of man’s heart; and when 
this Divine Light and witness comes to man and 
commends itself inwardly unto him, he turns quite 
away from the pure ground.* He ought verily 
to await it; but he does just the reverse, running 
first, one way and then another, so that he 

1 Matt. xi. 11. 

2 Matt. ili. 3. 

31am indebted for the following to the Rev. C. 
Bigg, D.D., of Christ Church, Oxford :— 

‘*We must translate Grund whenever it occurs by 
‘ground.’ Indeed there is no choice. ‘Ground’ be- 
came a recognised term among mystics who held 


for the German school. It occurs, I think, in 
Behmen, in George Fox and in Juliana of Norwich. 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 95 


cannot receive the true witness because of his 
shallowness. ‘‘He came unto His own, and 
His own received him not.’?! Such men are 
opposed to the true Divine Light. Their hearts 
are worldly; and, as the Baptist said to the 
hypocrites : «‘ They are a generation of vipers.’’ 2 
These men are opposed to all those who love 
the true Divine Light, and they give good cause 
for alarm, for they seem, as it were, scarcely to 
hang by a thread to light and faith. 
Now, we must show here, how  short- 
sighted and diseased nature is, and how of itself 
it can do nothing that is good. God has 
therefore given it supernatural help and strength, 
even the light of grace, which lifts nature far 
up above itself, and supplies it with all it needs 
in this way. The uncreated Light of Glory 
shines above, even the Divine Light; and this 
Light is God Himself. Therefore, if we would 
truly know God, it must be by God and with 
God, in God and by God. As the prophet 
says: ‘ Lord, in thy light we shall see light,’’ 3 
that is a supernatural light. The same Divine 
: Light, “lightens every man who comes into the 
world,”’ and shines on all men, both on the evil 
and on the good, as the bright sun shines on all 
creatures. It is their own fault if they are 


Of course it means the essence of the soul, or its 
unity. I should think Grund is meant to represent 
_*hypostasis;’ but who first used it in this sense I 
do not know. The idea comes from Plotinus through 
_ the Areopagite.” 

lJohni. 11. 2? Matt. iii. 7. 3 Psalm xxxv. 10. 


96 THE INNER WAY : 


blind. For in the same way that a man in a 
dark room could get light, if he found a window 
open, by putting his head outside, so may men 
also come to this light, and bear witness to it. 
Now, we must mark diligently how a man 
shall first bear himself towards this witness, so 
that he may truly receive it. He must flee and 
separate himself from all that is temporal and 
transitory ; for the true witness is given both to 
the lowest and highest powers of the soul. 
The lowest power is that of passion and desire. 
Desire is the love of pleasure, which this witness 
must take away. This power must first separate 
itself from the lusts of the flesh, whatever they 
may be, in which the man finds satisfaction ; 
either in human beings or clothing; in short, in 
whatever his senses find delight. God does not 
grudge man the necessaries of life; but this is 
verily a wilderness in which the voice of God 
cries; and it is called a life of seclusion. It 
is a separation from all the spiritual and natural 
pleasures, both outwardly and inwardly. 
Secondly, this witness is given in the power 
of passion in the soul, that man may learn true 
steadfastness and strength; that he may become, 
if he has received this witness aright, immovable 
as a mountain of iron. As Christ testified of St 
John, man must not allow himself to be shaken 
to and fro like’a reed; neither must he be like 
unto one who wears soft clothing; by which we 
may understand one who loves, desires and seeks 
his bodily ease. Now, many a man may be 
found who despises all this for the sake of God, 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 97 


but who is so like a bending reed that it is quite 
pitiful. Such a man is as much moved and dis- 
turbed by some absurd mockery, or by a hard 
word, as the reed is in the water. Now, dear 
friend, how can a word harm thee, which can in 
nowise hurt thy soul? But then comes the Evil 
One and suggests first one thing and then another 
to thee, till thou art sore troubled; but all this 
ought not so to be, if otherwise thou wert firm 
in the faith. Later, this witness is given in the 
highest power of all, in the reason, the will and 
the love of man; for it is a prophet to the 
reason of man’s soul; a prophet means one who 
sees far off. Reason, in fact, sees so far that 


it is a perfect marvel. If an enlightened man 


existed, who yet was not standing on this ground, 


_who heard secret, divine things, his heart would 
bear him witness thereof, and it would speak to 


‘him within. 

Now, Jesus Christ said that John was more 
than a prophet, even in that ground where reason 
cannot come. For there truly man sees light in 
light, in the inner light of the soul; for there 
the Divine Light may be seen and understood by 
the light of grace. First, in a hidden way. 
The powers of the soul cannot attain to this 
divine ground ; and the great wastes to be found 
in this divine ground have neither image, nor 
form, nor condition; for they are neither here 
nor there. They are like unto a fathomless abyss, 
bottomless and floating in itself. Even as water 
ebbs and flows, up and down, now sinking into a 
hollow, so that it looks as if there was no water 

G 


98 THE INNER WAY 

% 
there, and then again, in a little while, rushing 
forth as though it would engulf everything, so 
does it come to pass in this Abyss. This, truly, 
is much more God’s Dwelling-place than heaven 
or man. A man, who verily desires to enter 
in, will surely find God here, and himself 
simply in God, for God never separates Him- 
self from this ground. God will be present 
with him, and he will find and enjoy eternity 
here. There is no past nor present here; and 
no created light can reach unto or shine into this” 
divine ground; for here only is the Dwelling- 
place of God and His sanctuary. Now this 
Divine Abyss can be fathomed by no creatures ; 
it can be filled by none, and it satisfies none ; 
God only can fill it in His Infinity. For this 
abyss belongs only to the Divine Abyss, of which 
it is written: byssus abyssum invocat. 

He who is truly conscious of this ground, 
which shone into the powers of his soul, and 
lighted and inclined its lowest and highest powers 
to turn to their pure Source and true Origin, 
must diligently examine himself, and remain 
alone, listening to the voice which cries in the 
wilderness of this ground. 

This ground is so desert and bare, that no 
thought has ever entered there. None of all 
the thoughts of men, which, with the help of 
reason, have been devoted to meditation on the 
Holy Trinity, (and some men have occupied 
themselves much with these thoughts), have ever 
entered this ground. For it is so close, and yet 
so far off, and so far beyond all things, that it 


JOHN THE BAPTIST — 99 


has neither time nor place. It is a simple and 
unchanging condition. A man, who really and 
truly enters, feels as though he had been here 
throughout eternity, and as though he were one 
therewith ; whereas it is only for an instant, and 
the same glance is found and reveals itself in 
eternity. It shines forth; and God thus bears 
witness that man existed in God from all eternity, 
before his creation; that is, he was in God, and 
thus man was God in God. For St John says: 
* All things were made by Him,”’! that means 
one life in Him. ‘That which man was in him- 
self when created, that he was eternally in God. 
As long as a man does not attain to the purity 
with which he came forth, when first created 
out of nothing, he will never truly come to God. 
For all inclinations, propensities, and self-esteem, 
all that can defile the ground in our own posses- 
sion, must assuredly be cast out; and _ also, 
all that we have ever possessed with delight and 
our own consent in soul and body ; all that we 
have ever received by knowledge or inclination, 
all, all must first be rooted out, so that we may be 
as we were when we first came forth from God. 
Because we do not act thus, we never return to 
the Source from which we sprang; neither is 
| purity enough, unless our spirits are transformed 
by the Light of Grace. Now, if we willingly 
sought after this transformation, and communed 
with ourselves in our inmost hearts, ordering 
our conversation aright, at such a time our souls 
_and spirits might well experience a bright glimpse 
1 John i. 3. 


100 THE INNER WAY 


of the highest transformation ; although no one 
can come to God, nor know God, except in 
Uncreated Light, which is God Himself. The 
holy prophet says : Lord, “in Thy light we shall 
see light.””!_ Therefore, if a holy man communes 
often in his inmost heart in secret, many a 
glimpse will be vouchsafed to him in his inmost 
heart ; and what God is will be made much clearer 
and plainer to him, than the natural sun is to his” 
bodily eyes. . 
This pure ground was hidden from the heathen ; 
therefore they despised all temporal and transitory — 
things, and went in search of it. But afterwards 
the great masters, such as Proclus and Plato, arose, 
and they gave a clear description of it, to those 
men who could not find it of themselves. There- 
fore St Augustine said that Plato had fully taught 
the holy Gospel, ‘in principio erat verbum,” even 
unto the words: “ Fuit homo missus a Deo ;” 
but this was in veiled words. These same 
heathen masters discerned also the Holy Trinity; 
and all this came from the inmost ground, for 
which they lived and waited. It is a great 
disgrace and shame, a miserable and pitiful thing, 
that we, poor blinded people, who are left, 
should go on through long years, even unto death, 
like blind creatures, not knowing ourselves, nor 
what is concealed in us, knowing nothing about 
ourselves. Yet we are Christians, and are so 
called, and have great and exceeding help from 
the Grace of God, besides possessing the holy 
faith and the Blessed Sacrament, and many other 
: 


1 Psalm xxxvi. 9. 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 101 


great and divine helps. Now this is caused 
entirely by the great fickleness and superficiality, 
which pervert and trouble us. We are always 
anxious to occupy ourselves with outward things ; 
our own efforts, our many prayers, readings, 
studies and so on, which are all of our own self- 
seeking, with which we occupy ourselves, and 
which keep us back, so that we cannot com- 
mune with ourselves, bare and empty in the 
inmost depths of ourhearts. And yet, he who 
does not fill the noble vessel of his soul with 
fine balsam, will fill it with bad wine. Truly, if 
man would do this, it would be much nobler and 
better; and he would be more pleasing unto 
God, Who desires to receive from him his best 
and noblest works. 
There is yet another witness in the highest 
powers, the power of love, which is in the will: 
Have we not this week sung of St John the 
Baptist: Lucerna lucens et ardens, &c. ‘* He was 
a burning and shining light.””1 A lamp gives 
heat and light; thou canst feel the heat with 
thy hand; and yet thou canst not see the: fire, 
unless thou lookest at it from above; and thou 
_ seest not the light, unless thou seest it through 
the shade. He who marked this meaning well, 
'and was then conscious of the light and heat, 
| would know that this is wounded love, which shall 
truly guide thee into this ground. Therefore, 
when thou comest into this ground, thou must 
_ wrestle and struggle with love, mts set thy bow 
pie the Most Highest. 
1 John v. 35, 


102 THE INNER WAY 


But if thou comest into imprisoned love, into 
that secret, deep abyss, thou must yield thyself 
in the depths of love entirely ; thou hast lost all 
power over thyself; for there thou wilt find 
neither thought, nor exercise of power, nor the 
works of virtue. But, if thou findest there so 
much space,'and thou art so bare that a thought 
comes to ‘thee, and: thou fallest again into im- 
prisoned love, then thou must brace thyself at 
once, and raise thyself up, and wrestle vehemently 
with love; and desire, beseech and importune 
love. ‘If thou canst not speak, think and long ; 
and then speak as St Augustine spoke: * Lord, 
Thou commandest me to love Thee with all my 
heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and 
with all my mind; therefore, grant, O Lord, 
that I may love Thee above all things.”” If thou 
feelest so dull that thou canst not think thus, open 
thy mouth and say so. Those men, who make 
no effort, but sit down, as though all were ac- 
complished, never attain to this exalted love. 
After this comes the love which wells forth. 

Fourthly comes stormy, raging love. Love 
has perished quite, and reason has taken its place. 
Man is never so reasonable as he now generally 
becomes; for stormy, raging love may be com- 
pared to. a lamp; man becomes conscious of the 
heat of that love, for it causes a disturbance in 
all his powers. Man always longs for this love ; 
and when he has it he does not know it himself; 
for it consumes the blood and marrow in his 
bones. Therefore, heed thyself diligently, that 
thou mayest not destroy thy natural powers with 


t 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 103 


all thy efforts. If love is to do her work, so 


that thou canst not withdraw thyself from her, 
- thou must follow her through all her storms, and 
in all her external works. Some men say they 


will guard themselves from all these storms, that 
they may not be disgraced ; for such doings are 
not in keeping with their position. Therefore, 
when irrational love comes, all human work is 
swallowed up, and God comes and speaks to 


those men. This word is more useful than 


hundreds of thousands of words that could be 
spoken by any man. St Dionysius says: 
“When the external word has been uttered 
in the depths of the soul, and the ground has 
been so prepared and made ready, that it can 
receive the word in all its dignity and entirety, 
and can bring it forth, not only partially but 
completely, that ground becomes one with the 
word ; and yet it retains its own essential being, 
even in that union.”” Our Lord Jesus Christ bore 
witness to this when He said: ‘*'That they all 
may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me and I 
in Thee.”! As He also said to St Augustine : 
«Thou shalt be changed into Me, and not I into 
thee.”” Dear children, I tell you of a truth, that 
none can attain to this but by the path of love. 
Now St John the Baptist said, that he was ‘a 
voice in the wilderness, to prepare the way of 
the Lord;” that is, the path of virtue; that path 
is very plain. He said also : “* Make straight His 
paths.”? 2 Paths are often more even than ways. 
Therefore, whoever can really find the right path, 
1John xvii, 21, 2 Matt. iii. 3. 


104 THE INNER WAY 


which leads to the true ground of God, while at 
the same time he is conscious of his own ground, 
he must, before all things, remain alone, and dili- 
gently seek the footpath, which is very wild, 
dark, rough, unknown, distant and strange to 
him. For the man who diligently gives heed to 
all these things, no calamity or perplexity, either 
external or internal, is too great or too small; 
neither any infirmity which)may befall him ; for 
they will guide, allure and urge him on to the 
right ground. 

The paths must also be made straight from 
within; we must seek them diligently; our 
spirits in God and God in us; for the paths are 
dark and unknown. Many men go astray, run- 
ning after exteraal works and discipline. They 
act like one who, in going to Rome, facet 
to ascend; whereas, if the road diverged, the 
further he went, the further he would go astray. 
It is thus that these men act; for often, when 
they come back from external exercises, they 
have become old and ill, and their heads ache; 
. and there is not enough of this love in their 
works, because of their passions. : 

Therefore, when a man finds himself in this 
storm of love, he must not think of his senses, or — 
of humility, or of anything else, but only, whether © 
in his works he has enough love. Man struggles 
also in love against coldness, indifference and 
harshness. Man should devote himself entirely 
to love, and. render full allegiance, being poor 
and, miserable in all that is not love. Herein 
must thou have a steady ardent desire and full | 


j 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 105 


trust in God; and thou must keep thy heart 
pure for the Love of God; then thou wilt find 
such great and noble things in the Love of God, 
that thou wilt not be able to give utterance to 
them. Therefore, all men, whose faith and trust 
in God are not quite pure, will sink lower; love 
will be extinguished in their hearts, and their 
lives will be fruitless. I say unto thee, if thou 
hadst all the marks thou couldest possess here 
below, and this witness to the Love of God was 
wanting, all would be lost. Therefore the Evil 
One readily leaves all other virtues to man, as 
long as he does not possess the witness of true 
love. He will allow thee to have deceitful love, 
so that thou mayest imagine thou hast true love; - 
but, if thou couldest see into tkadepths of thy 
heart, thou wouldest soon find out how it stood 
with thy love. Therefore, know, that all that 
is lacking in you, is nothing else but that you 
have not entered into the right ground; for, if 
ye truly entered there, ye would find the Grace 
of God, and it would exhort you unceasingly 
to lift up your minds above yourselves. This 
divine exhortation is constantly resisted by many 
men, and that so often, that they become un- 
worthy of Divine Grace thereby ; so that perhaps 
they will never become partakers of it; for they 
spoil it altogether with their lives which seem 
to them so good. Were they obedient to the 
glance of the Grace of God, they would be led 
thereby, and be brought into such Divine Union, 
_ that even in this life they would experience that 
_ which they will enjoy everlastingly in the life to 


106 THE INNER WAY. 


come. This has been the experience of many 
holy men, who have been led by God along this 
lofty way ; and He still leads others by it, who 
open their hearts to Him. God grant that this 
also may be our experience. Amen. 


SERMON XII : og 


On THE Feast oF St TIMOTHY, OR THE 
Memoriét oF St Perer 
Of brotherly rebuke and admonition, how far it — 
is advisable and seemly or not; and especially how 


Prelates and Governors ought to demean themselves — 
towards their subjects. 


Argue, obsecra, increpa, in omni patientia et doctrina. 


Pe pR EPROVE, entreat, rebuke, in all patience 
and doctrine.”’ ! 

This is the lesson which St Paul gives to his 
beloved disciple Timothy, whom he set to rule over — 
men; and it equally behoves Father-confessors — 
and all Magistrates to possess these two ‘things, 
patience and doctrine. First, it is their office to 
rebuke all open sinners whom they may possibly 
bring to a better way, and especially those over 
whom they are set in authority, that they may 
reveal the truth unto them; for this is needful, 
and in many places Scripture doth tell us how 
we ought to teach, entreat and rebuke those who — 
are committed to our charge, each according to 
the office which he holds; as St Gregory has 
sufficiently ‘shown and set forth in his book on — 

12 Tim. iv. 2. | 


ST TIMOTHY! 107 


« Pastoral Care ;”’ wherefore we will refrain for 
the present from saying more on that point. 

But we will rather turn to the second point, 
which is more spiritual ; teaching a man to look 
within and judge himself; seeing that he who 
desires to become a spiritual man must not be ° 
ever taking note of others, and above all of their 
sins, lest he fall into wrath and bitterness, and 
a judging spirit towards his neighbours. My 
children, this works such great mischief in a 
man’s soul as it is miserable to think of; where- 
fore, as you love God, shun this evil temper, 
and turn your eyes full upon yourselves, and see if 
you cannot discover the same fault in yourselves, 
either in times past or now-a-days. And, if 
you find it, remember how that it is God’s 
appointing ‘that you shall now behold this sin 
in another, in order that you may be brought to 
acknowledge and repent of it; and amend your 
ways and pray for your brother, that God may 
grant him repentance and amendment according 
to His Divine Will. Thus .a good heart draws 
amendment from the sins of others, and is 
guarded from all harsh judgment and wrath, 
and preserves an even temper; while an evil 
heart puts the worst interpretation on all that it 
sees, and turns it to its own hurt. Thus is a 
good man able to maintain inviolate a due love 
and loyalty towards his fellow-men. 

Further, this generous love makes him hold 
others innocent in his heart; even when he sees 
infirmity or fault in his neighbour, he reflects 
that very likely all is not as it seems on the 


108 THE INNER WAY 


outside, but the act may have been done with a 
good intention; or else he thinks that God may 
have permitted it to take place for an admonition 
and lesson to himself; or again, as.an oppor- 
tunity for him to exercise self-control, and: to 
learn to die unto himself by the patient endur- 
ance of and forbearance towards the faults of his 
neighbours, even as God has often borne many 
wrongs from him and had patience with his sins. 
And this would often tend more to his neigh= 
bour’s improvement than all the efforts: he could 
make for it in the way of reproofs or chastise- 
ments, even if they were done in love, (though 
indeed we often imagine that our reproofs are 
given in love, when it is in truth far otherwise). 
For I tell thee, dear child, if thou couldst 
conquer thyself by long-suffering and gentleness 
and the pureness of thy heart, thou wouldst have 
vanquished all thine enemies. It would be better 
for thee than if thou hadst won the hearts of all 
the world by thy writings and wisdom, and 
hadst miserably destroyed thime own soul by 
passing judgment on thy neighbours; for the 
Lord says, ‘‘ And why beholdest thou the mote 
that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not 
the beam that is in thine own eye? ”’ 

In thus speaking I except those who are 
bound by their office in the Holy Christian Church 
to rebuke others. Let them wisely beware how 
they reprove, and for what causes, so that they 
rebuke none with an irritable demeanour, or with 
harsh and angry words, from which much trouble 
and toil do spring; for that they have no right 


ST TIMOTHY 109 


to do; but it is permitted to them to reprove 
those who are under them for their own amend- 
ment. But, alas! it happens for the most part 


now-a-days that those who occupy the highest 


places do often and greatly forget themselves in 
these respects; and hence their rebukes do not 
produce any amendment, but only anger and 
alienation of heart. For, if they were to instruct 
those who are under their care in the fear of 
God, in such wise that the people could mark 
and be sure that it was done solely for the saving 
of their souls, they would be much the more 
ready to set themselves to amend, and would be 
content. But now, alas! they see that their 
superiors are only seeking their own glory and 
profit, and are taking upon themselves wrongfully 
to keep them down and defraud them of their 
just rights; and therefore reproof only makes 
them the more refractory and indignant. And 
there are many in authority who do really believe 
that they rebuke those under them from a rever- 
ence for righteousness ; and yet are doing it from 
a wrathful, domineering and arrogant spirit ; and 
what they think they are doing from hatred to 
sin, they are doing from hatred to men. 

But I beseech you examine yourselves, whether 


you do in truth love those whom you are punish- 


ing so bitterly, out of reverence and zeal for right- 
eousness, as you suppose. For when we see men 
punishing and oppressing with such vehemence 
those who are under them, or treating them so 
harshly, with sharp words and sour looks, it is to 
be feared that there is more reproof given out of 


110 THE INNER WAY 7 


crabbed impatience than for the sake of righteous- 
ness from the true ground of charity and kindness, 
especially by those who have not yet experienced 
the inward joy of hearty sweetness and godly 
love; for the soul that; has not yet experienced 
inward love and divine sweetness, does not know 
how to hold a discreet mien and just language in 
rebuking ; but genuine love teaches us how we 
ought to treat those who are worthy of punishment. . 
Now, let him who has to punish, in virtue of — 
his office, first take account of God’s dishonour — 
and the injury done to the souls of his flock ; 
and then rebuke with sweet, loving words, and 
patient demeanour and gestures ; so that the weak — 
shall be able to mark that he is seeking and pur- 
posing their welfare alone and nothing else. And, — 
if in the dispensations of God’s Providence it | 
should happen that those who are subject should — 
at.times rise up and offend by license and pre- 
sumptuous irreverence against their superiors, the | 
latter ought not in any wise to regard or revenge 
it, so far as that may be without scandal to the 
rest of their subjects ; for, if they revenge them- 
selves, they fall under suspicion of selfish motives ; 
and it is likely that God will not be able to 
work any fruit through them; but they must 
rather treat such offenders with more patience, — 
kinder words and acts, than they do others. 
For this is commonly the greatest temptation 
which befalls those in authority, by which they 
for the most either win or lose the greatest 
reward of their labours ; wherefore they should 
ever be on their guard; for gentleness and a 


=~ ST; 'FIMOTHY Ill 


readiness to forgive injuries is the best virtue 
that a ruler can possess. 

They shall show no partiality in their affections ; 
neither for their own glory, nor yet towards 
particular persons; but they shall embrace all 
their flock in the arms of a common love, as a 
mother does her children. To the weak they 
should ever show the greatest love and care, 
and without ceasing lift up their hearts unto 
God in prayer, earnestly beseeching Him to 
guard and defend the people committed to their 
charge, and not indulge in any self-glorification. 
Likewise, so far as it rests with them, let them 
be the first to do such works as they would 
wish to see their people do ; for so it stands, that, 
with the help of God, all may be accomplished 
to a good end, when those in authority are 
inclined to virtue ; for then their subjects must 
needs follow as they lead, even though they 
have been beforehand inclined to all evil and 
vice, and hostile to their superiors. 

But for those who have received no commission 
to govern other men, but stand in a private 
character without office ; it is needful that they 
secretly judge themselves inwardly, and beware 


of judging all things without, for in such 


judgments we do commonly err; and the true 


position of things is generally very far otherwise 


: 
: 


. 
. 


from that which it appears to us, as we often 
come to discover afterwards. On this point 


remember the proverb: “ He is a wise man who 
can turn all things to the best.”’ 
May God help us so todo! Amen. 


112 ‘THE INNER WAY ~ 


SERMON XIII . 
On tHe Feast or St Paut THE ApostLe 


Of an absolute dying unto self and to all things. 
Of the use of suffering; of the Love, the Suffering 
and the Blood of Christ. 

Vivo autem, jam non ego, vivit vero in me 
Christus. 


.$ ND I live, now not I; but Christ liveth 
in me.” 1 

St Paul had so completely died unto himself 
and to all things, and was so transformed into 
true love for God and for all men, that he 
would willingly have died a thousand deaths for 
the salvation of men; and had even so forgotten 
self, that he knew nothing save Christ crucified ; 
and desired nothing, but to win all men to Christ, 
as though he had begotten all men, and were 
their earthly father. There are four things 
besides other virtues which will be especially 
useful to us, if we desire to imitate this exalted 
Apostle in true love and resignation, and to 
please God. First, we must absolutely banish 
and separate ourselves from all created things 
outside God. Secondly, we must forget and 
ignore all creatures. ‘Thirdly, we must be con- 
stantly looking back to our origin, which means 
that, in God, we must long after and desire 
God with strong crying. Fourthly, we must 
labour that we may be more deeply impressed 
with, and fashioned in the Likeness of Christ. 


1 Gal. ii. 20. 


ST PAUL 113 


Absolute poverty is thine when thou canst 
not remember whether anybody has ever owed 
thee or been indebted to thee for anything ; 
just as all things will be forgotten by thee in the 
last journey of death. If thou desirest in time 
to live above time, and to be separated from all 
creatures, thou must learn to forget thy own 
powers, and all that nature can accomplish. ‘ 
A constant return to thy origin means, that the 
presence of all things, in which thou canst not 
find God, will seem like a wound to thee. 
The labour, by which Christ is more deeply 
imprinted and formed in thee, takes place within, 
where Christ ever receives the Person, Nature 
and Being of His Father. The more Christ 
sees man thus choosing Him, the more clearly 
will Christ be found in him. All, who are like 
unto Christ in pain, bitterness and patience, will 
also be elected and chosen to be with Him, 
where He at all times partakes of the Being and 
Nature of His Heavenly Father. He who 
ean kill and destroy his infirmities will also 
receive new strength from God; therefore in 
him, who devotes all the powers of his human 
‘nature unto Christ, Christ will pour the power of 
His Divine Nature. The loving Heart of God 
will be satisfied if thou diest to thy very self. 

_ A holy soul, which has become barren and 

empty of all created things, and which cannot 

form nor mould in itself anything that is of the 

‘ereature, moves God to draw it to Himself, to 

the very centre of His Divine Being. The exit 

of all created things out of thy heart, brings about 
H 


114. THE INNER WAY 


| 


: 
the entering in, and pouring in of all the riches 
of His Almighty Power. No one can enjoy the 
Presence of God, and His Likeness, like the man 
who is dead to all things, and who is as dead in 
~ heart and will as a thing that never possessed any 
* being. 

The next way is to die to all things and to 
live to God alone. He who always dies to self, 
is always beginning to live unto God, and that 
without ceasing. In the truest death of all 
created things, the sweetest and most natural life 
lies hidden. ‘There is no more natural or more 
real way of procuring Eternal Life, than by kill- 
ing and dying in heart to all created things, and 
by the subjection, the submission and destruction 
of self, as beneath all creatures. 

A man once thought that God drew some 
men even by pleasant paths, while others were 
drawn by the path of pain. Our Lord answered 
him thus: ‘* What think ye can be pleasanter or 

‘ nobler than to be made most like unto Me? that 
is by suffering. Mark, to whom was ever offered 
such a painful and troubled life as to Me? And 
in whom can I better work, in accordance with 
My true nobility, than in those who are most like 
Me? They are the men who suffer. No man 
ever suffered so bitterly as 1; and yet no man 
was ever so pure as I. When was I more 
mocked than when I was most glorifying My 
Heavenly Father? Learn that My Divine Nature 
, never worked so nobly in human nature as by 
‘suffering ; ; and because suffering is so efficaci 
it is sent out of great love.» I understand th 


ST PAUL 115 


weakness of human nature at all times, and, out 
of love and righteousness, I lay no heavier burden 
on man than he can bear. The crown must be 
firmly pressed down that is to bud and blossom 
in the Eternal Presence of My Heavenly Father. 
He who desires to be wholly immersed in the 
fathomless sea of My Godhead, must also be 
deeply immersed in the deep sea of bitter sorrow. 
I am exalted far above all things, and work 
supernatural and wonderful works in Myself; the 
deeper and the more supernaturally a man crushes 
himself beneath all things, the more supernaturally 
will he be drawn far above all things.” 

A man desired to know when man’s nature 
became absolutely dead. Our Lord replied : 


«When all sins are as impossible and as hate- ¢ 


ful to thee, as they are to the high estate of My 
Divine Nature.”” Then the man said: “ Ah! 
dear Lord, but what can cause this death?”’ 
Answer: “The presence of My death and of 


My Dying Life, during which I was always ' 


working out the salvation of the human race. My 
Death was always present to Me, and a consum- 
ing thirst that I might suffer for the sake of 
man the very bitterest sufferings that had been 
ordained for Me. It was not sufficient for Me 
to be rejected by all men; those, also, who 
acknowledged and confessed Me, must be hated 
and tormented as well. The burning thirst I 
felt for all men, caused the welling up of My 
precious streaming Blood ; for it would have been 
far more bitter to Me than the death I suffered, 
had one drop of blood or water remained in my 


116 THE INNER WAY 


Heart, that I should not have poured forth for the 
salvation of man. Ass the seal impresses its form 
on the wax, so the love, with which I have loved 
man, has power to impress his form on My Hands, 
My Feet and My Divine Heart, so that I can never 
forget him. Evenas My Wounds were pierced 
with the sharp nails and pointed spear, so have I 
filled them up again with the sweet balsam of My 
Divine Nature, so that it may always freely flow 
forth into the weakness of human nature. My 
Blood is always a bath, boiling over in the flame 
of My Divine Nature, i in which man may wash 
away his sins. 

‘¢ What can be sweeter and more satisfying than 
to work the like in him for whom I have suffered, 
and to bring forth fruit and increase in My dear 
members? Nothing is more pleasing to Me than 
that it should be made manifest how supernaturally 
in the power of My Love, I have worked and 
suffered for man. : 

A holy man once bethought himself how pain- 
ful it must have been to God to have been seen 
by his enemies when he was taken prisoner. Our 
Lord answered him: ‘My enemies appeared 
unto Me in my presence as friends, who wished 
to help me in carrying out the sweetest and mos 
desirable work that I ever worked in my life.” 
God appeared most miserable unto man, when, 
exhausted and overwhelmed, He was taken away 
from the column or pillar, and said; *¢ Behold, 
how love for man has exhausted Me, ought it 
not to be sweet to Me to drink at his hand the 
recompense of My Martyrdom? See how man 


ST PAUL. 117 


‘precious signs man may see in Me, if he looks 
upon the numberless wounds of love in Me and 
meditates upon my Sacred Passion.” 

The soul is so nobly united to God, and, at 
first, in such a supernatural way, that man might 
justly shun, like death, every thought that could 
interfere with this union. The thought, which 
is to receive God into itself, can endure nothing 
strange. Therefore desire only invisible and 
inexpressible things. All will be forgotten by 
thee that can be spoken in words. ‘ Keep silence 
on all that 1 work in thee ; for I am precious to 
all creatures, because I am absolutely hidden 
from all creatures. It is natural to Me to dwell 
in the Heart of my Father ; so also is it natural 
and dear to Me to dwell in‘the soul, in which I 
find rest and the likeness of my bleeding Wounds, 
and which I have won by the eternal tokens of 
my Fatherly Heart; and these Wounds shall 
flourish eternally in that soul before my Divine 
Eyes. For him for whom I have ordained a 
painful life in this world, I have also ordained 
the enjoyment in eternity of the sweetest honey 

of My Divine Nature. I cannot really enter into 
a man’s soul until he resigns himself, and yields 
| himself up in all humility, and until the old man 
be driven out.”” May God grant that we may 
follow St Paul perfectly in this, and in all other 
good exercises. Amen. 


. 
ee 


118 THE INNER WAY 


SERMON XIV 


On THE PRESENTATION OF THE BrEssep VIRGIN, 
OR ON THE Ocrave oF HER Nativity 


Of two ways in which men come to the Blessed 
Virgin. Of the temptations that attack men living: 
in’seclusion. Of that which they must learn by 
experience, and make their own, before they can. 
attain to the highest degree of real perfection. : 

d 


Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me. 


“COME over to me, all ye that desire me, 
and be filled with my fruits.”? 1. } 

To-day we celebrate the eighth day after the 
Birth of our Lady. St Bernard and other Saints 
confess that they cannot praise her enough, and 
that they must perforce be silent on all the riches 
of her praise. St Bernard says: ‘Dear Lady, 
although thou hast been exalted to the kinship 
of the Godhead, forget not thy kinship with our 
poor human nature. Be not so entirely lost in 
the Abyss of the Godhead, that thou canst not 
also remember that human weakness by which 
thou also hast been tempted, and the many holy 
prayers which have been offered unto thee by 
me and by many holy Saints.” 

There are two ways in which she has been 
treated by men. Some will not, and say th 
they cannot pray, because they desire and 
also must needs trust themselves to God’s 
keeping, that He may do as He sees fit with 
them and all theirs. Others pray fervently to 


1 Ecclus. xxiv. 26. 


THE BLESSED VIRGIN 119 


our Lady and to other Saints about all their 
affairs. There may be defects in both of these 
ways. The first err by not realising that the 
Holy Church has ordained that all men should 
pray. Our dear Lord taught us this Himself, 
and gave us an example and a model of prayer; 
for He Himself prayed to His Heavenly Father. 
These men justify their foolish notion, by say- 
ing that they need not worship, and that they 
will yet be heard, if their intentions are not evil. 
But there are some things which the Lord will 
only do in answer to prayer. Now, mark, God 
often allows man to fall into trouble, that he 
may be provoked unto prayer. Then God helps 
him, and hears his prayer, in order that his love 
may be stirred up yet more, and that by means 
of the answer he may receive comfort. 

The others also err who pray because they 
are impatient, and expect that all the things for 
which they pray must come to pass. They 
ought indeed to pray, but with true resignation, 
that in all ways and in all things they may 
_ gladly accept the Will of God. Now, we have 
_ lately said much of the way in which men, who 
are beginning to do better, must cut off all gross, 
coarse sins and all growing evil inclinations, while 
' those men who have in some measure attained to 
_ perfection must root out their inner besetting sins. 
: Now, those men, who have gone into retire= 

ment, fixing their hearts on God alone, desiring 
only to love God, and to think only of Him, 
are brought into such great temptations by the 
Evil One, that a man in the world would be 


120 6©6)ne THE INNER WAY q 
terrified thereby. Temptation is common to all 
these men; and yet in each case the origin is 
very different. ‘Temptation comes to a worldly 
man from an unmortified heart, from his nature, 
from flesh and blood. The temptation over- 
powers him, his work is destroyed ; therefore” 
there is nothing left for the Enemy to do, and 
he blazes it abroad. But a good man holds” 
fast in his integrity, temptation comes to him | 
from without and but little from his own heart. — 

Thus the Enemy finds out some tendency in a 

man, even though he be pure. For instance, a 
man may naturally be imclined to anger; the 
Enemy discovers this, and attacks him with all 
his cunning, full of wicked deceit. He need 

not give himself so much trouble with a worldly 
man, for such an one follows immediately. He 
can entangle him in his toils at once, winding 
them round and round him till he is quite help-— 
less. This is the way in which the Enemy treats — 
a man whom he finds inclined to anger. He 
first of all suggests one image to him, and then 
another, which will rouse him, so that at last 

the man becomes angry, and he cries and 

clamours, as though he desired to beat and stab 

every one. But if he then comes to himself, 
’ and. casts himself down before God in the very 
depths of humility, desiring no confessor, but — 
making peace with man and giving due satis- 

faction, he can then cast himself down in his 
unworthiness and great sin, and then his sin will 

vanish from the sight of God like snow before 

the sun; all will be atoned, and the Enemy will 


- 
THE BLESSED VIRGIN 121 


‘depart thence in sorrow. If a man desire to act 
wisely in this, he must be very sincere and 
ready to get free. 
Now we must notice one sense in which this 
does not affect all men; and we poor, weak, 
feeble creatures, who have not experienced them, 
may well fear to speak and hear of such exalted 
things. For it is just those, who know about 
them, who find it is so utterly impossible to speak 
of them. Job said: “ A Spirit passed before my 
face, when I was trembling ; it stood still, but I 
could not discern the form thereof.”’! St Gregory 
understood this to mean the Sacred Humanity 
of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. The Form, 
which he saw, and did not recognise, was the 
unknown Godhead which is concealed from all 
creatures and is unknown to them. To this he 
added that which is written in the third of Kings. 
The Angel told Elias to go forth and stand upon 
the mount till the Lord came. When he went 
up, an awful tempest came, which was so strong 
that it overturned the mountains, the hard 
rocks were broken and the mountains were rent 
asunder; but in that the Lord did not come. 

Then there was a great and terrible earthquake ; 

but in that the Lord did not come. Then there 
was a fierce fire; but neither in that did the 

Lord come. After all these things there was a 
still small Voice, a soft rustling like a gentle 
breeze; and in that came the Lord. Elias 
stood at the door of the cave, and wrapped his 
face in his mantle. In none of these ways— 
é 1 Job iv, 14-16. 


122 THE INNER WAY 


neither in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the 
fire, did the Lord come; but, as St Gregory 
says, they were all a preparation and the road 
thereto. These high mountains are like lofty, 
great minds; and the hard rocks and the oe 
quake are like minds wanting in self-control ; | 
and men who think well of themselves, who hold 
fast to their own devices, and are self-willed and 
uncontrolled, they make great plans and do great 
deeds, but all in their own way. When the Lord 
comes to such men, He must first send a great 
earthquake, which will upset all that is in them, 
But, alas, there are not many such men. The 
reason is that men content themselves with the 
things of this life, and cleave to their evil nature; 
and. thus they remain, given up to the pleasures” 
of sense. But those who are rightly stirred up, 
either more or less (and I have seen many such 
men), have feared over and over again, that in 
that hour they must lay down their lives. A 
man asked our Lord what he ought to do, 
because it seemed to him, day and night, as if 
he must lose his life in this way, and whether he | 
ought thus to endanger it. Our Lord answered 
him: Canst thou not risk and suffer that in- 
ternally, which I suffered without measure in My - 
Body, in My Hands and Feet and in ali My 
Body?” | 
Children, some men cannot bear this; so they 
seek’ here, there and everywhere for rest ; and 
find: it not, till they cast themselves down into 
the depths of suffering. . How, think ye, should - 
death be met? Children, ifa man were as pure” 


THE BLESSED VIRGIN 123 


as when first baptised, and had never fallen into 
sin, still, if he desired to attain to the next truth, 
he must pass through this earthquake, and by this 
way into true resignation, or he will get no further. 

After this earthquake came the fire; and in 
that the Lord came not. This means fiery love, 
which consumes the bones and the marrow, and 
by means of which a man is brought outside 
himself... A man was once so greatly inflamed 
by this fire that he never trusted himself to go 
near straw, thinking that his very heat must set 
it alight. Another man, because of this heat, 
could only sleep in winter when it had been 
snowing; he then lay down in the snow and 
slept, and the snow immediately melted around 
him, far and near. See, children, fiery love 
penetrates by the spirit into the body, and yet 
in this the Lord comes not. 

After this came a sweet, gentle breeze, a soft 
wind like a murmur; and in that came the Lord. 
How was it, think ye, that the Lord came? 
What a marvel, think ye, that must be, when 
the Lord comes ‘to man in all these ways which 
are sudden and violent, and which cause such 
great disturbances that all that there is in his 
poor nature and in his spirit is consumed, so 
that then the Lord Himself comes? Know 
this, that if God did not preserve man’s nature 
in a supernatural manner, he would be unable, 
even if he had the strength of a hundred men, to 
bear the joy and the wonder ; and yet it is only 
a glimpse. This glimpse was so excessively 
sudden that’ Elias stood in the door of the 


124 THE INNER WAY 


cave, and wrapped his face in his mantle. This 
cave is human weakness; but the entrance is 
nothing less than the vision of the Godhead by 
man. Elias wrapped his face in his mantle ; 
which means that, however short and swift the 
vision was, still it was a glimpse that transcended 
nature, and was insupportable and incompre- 
hensible to the natural man. Children, it was 


verily God the Lord Who was here. His 


: ; 
sweetness is far above that of honey and the 


4 


honey-comb, which are the sweetest things 
known to the world. But this reaches far 
beyond all knowledge and understanding ; far 


beyond all powers, even unto a fathomless abyss. 
As weak eyes cannot bear the brightness of the 
sup, so a thousand times less can nature endure 


this condition in her weakness. All that we 


can say of this is that however well and fully 
we may be able to comprehend it with our minds, 
express it in words, or grasp it with the under- 


standing, still it is all as utterly unlike the reality 


as it would be were I to say of a piece of black 


coal: ‘* Look, here is the bright sun which — 


lightens all ‘the world.” Here true peace is 
brought forth; that peace which passeth all under- 
standing ; and thus a man may here be established 
in that true peace, which no man taketh from him. 

Now the Form which Job saw and did. not 
recognise, was‘ the second Person of the God- 
head, the Son of God; the soft, gentle Breeze 
in which the Lord came was the: Holy Ghost. 
St Gregory says that this means that He came 


in this gentle breeze, and at Whitsuntide in a— 


Ae 


THE BLESSED VIRGIN 125 


tushing wind. The reason was that He came 
to the outward man in a visible way, that he 
might carry on the work for the benefit of 
Christendom. Job needed it not after this 
fashion, therefore the Spirit came to him. 
Blessed are the sons of men who can attain 
to this great good for an instant even before 
death. But know that, however great and good 
this may be, it is as unlike all the sweetness 


that will be ours in Eternal Life, as the least 


drop of water is to the fathomless sea. 
Now, what becomes of all those men before 


~ whom this joy is held forth and made known? 


They sink down in their absolute nothingness, 
in. an inscrutable manner, as though they desired 


to be annihilated for a hundred hours out of love 


and praise to Him. It would be joy to them 
in the Presence and in awe of that great Being, 
out of very love, to attain to a state of non-ex- 
istence ; and they would gladly cast themselves 
down into the deepest abyss ; for the more they 
acknowledge His Majesty, the more they acknow- 
ledge their own littleness and worthlessness. By 
this annihilation they have so absolutely separated 
themselves from themselves, that even if God 
wished to give none of this consolation and 
this experience they would not desire it, but 
would flee from it. And, if of their own free 
will they desired none, it would not be good 
for them, and it might easily lead them into sin, 
for which they would afterwards have to suffer 
in purgatory ; and it would also be a sign that all 
was not well with them. Therefore the power 


126 THE INNER WAY ~ 


of love must ever be thirsting ; while modera- 
tion and discretion flee away. 

These men have a most consuming thirst for 
suffering. They look upon it as their consola- \ 
tion and joy, given to them by God, that they — 
may follow the blessed example of Christ. 
They desire it may come to them in the most 
ignominious and painful manner in which it can 
be borne. They thirst for the’Cross; and, with 
love and fervent longings, they bend beneath the 
Cross of their beloved Lord. Here the Holy 
Cross is exalted indeed on the sacred Day of 
the Cross. The sufferings and the example of 
our Lord are followed here with true dignity. 
St Paul, who was exalted even unto the third 
heaven, said: “God forbid that I should glory 
save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 4 
Job said: “ My soul rather chooseth hanging, 
and my bones death.”2 This he chose as the 
best that God had given him. This hanging 
on the Cross is pain to most men, because their 
God hung on the Cross for their sakes, therefore 
God ordains that man should experience horrible 
darkness, and be forsaken in his great misery. 
How can the power of love, which was kindled 
by the flame of love, sustain itself when thus cut 
off from all consolation in such ‘a perceptible 
way? Integrity and moderation come and speak 
to the power of love: ‘See, beloved one, this 
is the inheritance that He has left to those who 
love Him; ‘a soul full of God and a body or 
nature full of suffering.’’’ As love burns more 

1 Eph. vi. 14. 2 Job vii. 15. 


ST MARY MAGDALENE 127 


_ or less brightly, so this inheritance is ever more 
_ valued, and is sweeter than any other consolation 
could be. This is the longed-for inheritance 
that our Lord promised to His Friends by the 
Prophets. The more nobly they possess this in- 
heritance and love it, the more they will also 
possess that blessed and heavenly inheritance 
_ that our Lord extolled to His Friends. They 
will possess it ever in fuller measure throughout 
eternity: The holy Martyrs have attained to 
this inheritance by their great love. They 
think they are only just beginning life; they 
feel like men who are beginning to grow. May 
God have mercy on those who neglect this ever 
increasing, true and holy blessing for vile, corrupt 
things, and may we ever confess this to Him. 
en. 


SERMON XV 


On THe Feast or St Mary Macpatrene 


A most precious Sermon and thoughtful Exhorta- 
tion, which covers the whole ground.of the Teaching 
aud Preaching of the celebrated Doctor Tauler. Of 
the true resignation and seclusion by which we may 
come to real peace and to the highest state of perfec- 
tion. It is founded on the words of Christ which he 
spake, in praise of Mary Magdalene, to her sister 
Martha, 

Martha, Martha, sollicita es, et turbaris erga 
plurima. Porro unum est necessarium ; Maria 


optimam partem elegit, quae non auferetur ab ea. 
> MASTHA, Martha, thou art careful and 


art troubled about many things. But 
one thing is necessary; Mary hath chosen the 


— 


128 THE INNER WAY 


best part, which shall not be taken away from 
hersigid 

In our dear Lord Jesus Christ, and in His 
holy and fruitful Coming, I greet you, faithful 
children of God, who are assembled here to 
learn of the Divine Word, and of the best way 
to eternal salvation. Amen. 

Dearly beloved and elect, listen to the Voice — 
of God in your hearts, earnestly and diligently, — 
that ye may not be led astray and blinded by 
transitory things and your own natural tendencies. — 
If ye heartily desire to become the dearest Friends _ 
and Disciples of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, © 
ye must rid yourselves of all that pertains to the 
creature, and especially free yourselves, as much — 
as possible, of all that can be rightly and honestly — 
called necessary. Ye must look to Him alone 
as the Source of all things, for He needs the help — 
of none. Ye must keep yourselves cut off and — 
freed from all superfluous and unnecessary con- 
versation and outward delight in human beings, — 
and from all images, both external and internal, 
that are pleasing in any way to the natural man, — 
or of which ye are conscious. ‘This ye must do, 
like the beloved Mary Magdalene; so that God — 
may work His wonderful works in you, accord-— 
ing to His dear Will, and may pour out upon you 
His fervent, ardent Love and Divine Grace, that 
ye may acknowledge, as ye fall at His Sacred . 
Feet, that all that may befall you is needful and © 
His Divine Decree. 

Now mark, if we were inwardly conscious of 

1 Luke x. 41, 42. | 


: 


ST MARY MAGDALENE 129 


‘it, we should well understand, how very often 
‘we may be blinded, to our own hurt, by un- 
necessary and external works of love, which 
prevent our perceiving the divine inspiration and 
our own infirmities. Although such works may 
have been done in love, both great and godlike, 
and may not be really evil in themselves, still 
they are not that which is best and most perfect. 
Our Lord Jesus Christ praised Mary Magdalene 
for her absolute separation from all things, when 
He said: ‘She hath chosen the best part,’ ! 
and He rebuked Martha, because she was too 
careful in her anxiety and great and loving 
service, for she loved Him and His chosen 
disciples, with ardent, fervent love ; and that in 
itself was right and proper. Therefore, if we 
especially desire to receive from God consolation 
and teaching that will be useful to us and bear 
fruit in us, and a true and perfect separation from 
all needful things, both bodily and spiritual, it is 
very necessary that we should decide at once to 
cut ourselves off from all unnecessary works and 
ways, in our words, works and all things that are 
more than absolutely necessary, either in bodily 
or spiritual matters, following therein the teach- 
ings of God and of our own consciences. It is 
especially necessary that we should shun and flee 
from all those persons who desire to lead us 
astray, and suggest thoughts to us of outward 
things, however holy those persons may be, or 
May seem to be; for they are not our true 
friends in sincerity and truth, whether they be 
1 Luke x. 42. 
I 


130 THE INNER WAY 


Father Confessors or whosoever they may be, 
either spiritually or worldly-minded people. W. 
shall never find God anywhere so perfectly, s 
fruitfully and so truly as in retirement and in th 
wilderness ; like the Blessed Mother of God, St 
John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene, and 
other Saints and Patriarchs. They all fled from 
the world, from society, and all the cares and 
anxieties of the creature, and went into th 
forests and into the desert, or wherever the 
could find the greatest solitude. Oh! verily, 
much intercourse and society, and much outward 
conversation and necessary business lead up to an 
evil old age, and drive out God, however good 
the intentions may have been. For, when we 
fill our hearts with the creature, and with strange, 
useless images, God must of necessity remai 
outside, neither desires He to enter there. 
barrel that has been filled with refuse or with 
decaying matter, cannot hereafter be used fo 
good, generous wine or any other pure drink 
Oh! verily, we may turn where and to whom 
soever we will in this life, and, in all outwar 
things, we shall find nothing but falsity, unfaith 
fulness and dissension. Where we imagine w 
shall be able to seek and to find great consolatio 
and delight, we lose entirely all inward consola 
tion, and are robbed entirely of that peace o 
mind which it had taken us a long time to attai 
in solitude. We cannot regain it, and w 
become greatly discontented, offending by un 
necessary, superfluous and untrue words; we 
waste our time, and do many other things whic 


ST MARY MAGDALENE 131 


cause our hearts to grow cold and extinguish our 
love. Conscience pricks us, and we are easily 
stirred up and urged on to impatience and anger. 
Woe be to us! could we only realise this, 
we should find that in God only can we have 
peace or consolation, or truly perfect joy and 
delight. 
Let us turn to God with all our hearts, and 
' wait upon Him in meekness and patience, as did 
the holy Prophets and Patriarchs, aforetime, in 
the old Covenant (Testament) ; for they indeed 
waited patiently for His coming in Hades, for 
many thousand years before they were redeemed. 
Oh! surely, we ought to be more ready to wait 
for Him, when, for a time, He withdraws His 
consolation and sweetness, of which we are quite 
unworthy, and hides Himself from us. He 
thinks only of what is best and most useful for 
us, that He may kindle and stir up our love and 
our longing for Him, ever more and more. For 
in His love and great mercy He neither wills 
nor desires to refuse, or to take from us, anything 
that is useful and necessary either in body or 
spirit; He knows surely what is best for us. 

O God, how greatly we need Thy mercy ! 
for we are so foolish and senseless, that we often 
allow little things to keep us back, imagining 
that we are pleasing God, when we sing His 
‘praise with many high-sounding words; though 
‘the words used by the Saviour and His dear 
disciples were short and simple. Or again, we 
think we are pleasing God and helping our 
neighbour by an unjustifiable waste of time and 


132 THE INNER WAY 


much outward sorrow. Or again, we think it i 
good and useful for us to carry on much un. 
necessary business and to delight in our fellow 
creatures (however holy they may be or appe: 
to be). Thus even the blessed Form of our de 
Lord Jesus Christ, and His faithful, fatherly 
and fruit-bringing Presence became harmful 
His dear disciples and hindered them and le 
them astray, as He Himself said: “It is ex 
pedient for you that I go away: for if I 0 
not away, the Comforter will not come unto 
you.” } Or again, we think we may have and 
hold many things with delight, and as our own, 
without spiritual harm; either temporal goods, 
company, familiar intercourse with relations or 
spiritual friends, while at the same time we are 
pleasing our dear Lord and continuing in His 
love ; though He was despised, He was sorrow= 
ful and poor, and said Himself: “ There is no 
man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters 
or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or 
lands for My sake, but he shall receive an 
hundredfold now in this time, and in the world 
to come eternal life.’’ 2 
He says also in another place: “*He who 
hateth not his father and mother and wife and 
children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his 
own life also, he cannot be My disciple.’’ 3 ' 
O God! could we but see into the depths 
of the loving teaching of our dear Lord, we 
should surely acknowledge at once that all o 


1 John xvi. 7. 2Mark x. 29, 30. 
3 Luke xiv, 26. 


ST MARY MAGDALENE 133 


life is unholy, and that it is not at all that which 
we imagine it to be. 

If we ever are to attain to true Divine Peace, 
and be completely united to God, all that is not 
absolutely necessary, either bodily or spiritually, 
must be cast off ; everything that could interpose 
itself to an unlawful extent between us and Him, 
and lead us astray; for He alone will be Lord 
in our hearts, and none other ; for Divine Love 
can admit of no rival. 

Oh ! let us praise the Death of our dear Lord 
Jesus Christ and his inestimable merit, and ponder 
on the short transitory nature of this miserable 
life, and the delusions of this faithless, treacherous 
and deceitful world. Remember how dangerous 
it is to hold intercourse with any, whether clergy 
or laity, and how short our time is here, and 
that we must be preparing for the day of our 
death which is ever drawing nearer. If ye keep 
watch over your hearts, and listen for the Voice 
of God and learn of Him, in one short hour ye 
can learn more from Him than ye could learn 
from man in a thousand years. Dear children, 
use this short but most precious time wisely and 
profitably ; and let none cause you to err, neither 
deceive you, that ye may not, to your own hurt, 
neglect your own salvation. We may lose much 
of our worldly goods, but we may also recover 
them again, though they will be of no further 
use to us when this short fleeting life is over. 
But if we lose but one little hour of this precious 
time, or vainly waste it, we can never recover it 
again; and we shall be in need of it throughout 


134 THE INNER WAY 


eternity, and be deprived of the exceeding great 
and eternal joy and reward, which we might 
otherwise have earned. 
I fear, indeed, that there is great cause for 
anxiety, both on my account and on that of all | 
those who cling too much to their fellow 
creatures, and who are led astray and needlessly | 
troubled by asking, hearing and talking too 
much about strange and useless tales. It comes’ 
to pass, too, that when, through His great and ~ 
endless mercy, God preserves us from great and 
coarse sins, He nevertheless allows us 
persist in fruitless outward imaginings, in a cold, 
thoughtless, foolish state of blindness, so that we 
neither can make, nor desire to make any progress 
towards a state of perfection, and shall have in 
consequence, to endure the fires of purgatory. 
We are like unto foolish asses, which never le 
any form of speech than their own braying, o 
seek any other comfort or sweetness, but only 
rough, tasteless thistles, while they have to 
endure scorn and many a hard and cruel blow, 
which they really do not deserve. Surely, if 
we are not willing to give up outward attach- 
ments and distractions, simply for the sake of 
God and our own eternal salvation, yet we 
ought to be able to do so readily for the sake of 
that great peace of heart, which, even in this 
world, would be ours; and because we should 
be freed from much painful and unmerited 
oppression and perplexity. Verily, the man who 
wishes to prove himself always in the right, in 
everything that he does, sees, hears and discusses, 


ST MARY MAGDALENE 135 


and who will not give way and be silenced, will 
never be at peace in himself, and will have a 
barren, sullen and wandering mind ; he will prey 
upon himself, even though he be left in peace by 
all, and is tried by no outward pressure. We 
must commend all that we possess both in body 
and spirit in full confidence to God, and 
allow Him to work in us according to His Will; 
and then we shall attain to perfect peace. He 
can guide and prepare us far better in all things, 
both bodily and. spiritual, and for our own good 
both in body and spirit, if He finds that we have 
desired and sought honestly His,praise and glory 
alone in all things. This indeed should suffice 
us; we need no longer be careful or troubled 
about anything, either without or within, but must 
seek only to give ourselves into His keeping 
entirely, in all humility. If it seem good to 
Him, He can show us in many ways what we 
ought to do and what we ought to leave undone ; 
for He only knows what is really needful for us, 
and He only desires that which is best for us, 
would we but trust ourselves entirely to Him. 
But we want to order our own ways, and to 
do that which we think best, just as we fancy 
and it pleases us, perhaps solely in the light of 
nature. We want to be wiser than God, Who is 
the Source of all Wisdom, and we imagine that, 
could we but rid ourselves of this sorrow or of 
that person, or could we be at such and such a 
court or society, it would be to our profit and 
advantage. ‘Truly, if we could but see it, we 
should find that the Evil Spirit willingly deceives 


136 THE INNER WAY 


us and leads our hearts astray, making us restless 
and discontented. Steadfastness is not only one 
of the sources, but also shares in all other virtues ; 
therefore the Evil One always endeavours, when- 
ever he gets a chance, to prevent men from 
holding fast to this virtue. But if we strove 
more diligently to find him out, we should realise 
that we are seeking secretly and ignorantly by 
the light of nature. We imagine things, and lie 
to ourselves and are ready to flee from the Cross, 
and. to cast it away, before God sees fit to remove 
it. Verily, this should not and ought not so to 
be; for our dear Lord, in His great love and 
mercy towards His chosen ones, afflicts and 
crucifies them unceasingly in this world, in many 
secret, strange ways, often unknown to them. 
He would not have them love anything too well 
in this life, that evil spirits may never gain any 
power over them. Our dear Lord afflicts and 
crucifies one man in one way, and another man in 
another way; one more, another less, according 
to the needs of each, and of the power of each 
to receive the Grace of God, and to draw nearer 
to His own Will in all things. Therefore we 
must be ready to suffer and submit, as much in 
one kind of suffering and need as in another, 
just as God sees fit to afflict us. We must not 
think at once that if we could have some really 
divine witness or testimony from God, or from 
His Friends, that we then should be more: at 
peace ; for often, when we strive to avoid some 
slight suffering or discipline, we only fall into it 
all the more deeply. 


ST MARY MAGDALENE 137 


Woe be unto us! Were we only not so 
foolish, but recognised instead how very much 
the smallest suffering or affliction purifies us and 
unites us to God, and in God; how great our 
eternal reward will be; and how quickly it 
drives and chases away the Evil Spirit from us, 
so that he can have no power over us, surely, we 
should be ready to run miles to the Cross, and 
should earnestly thank all those who in any way 
afflicted or tried us. We should turn towards 
the road that they take from real joy and 
thankfulness, and we should be glad, beyond all 
measure, that we had been able to find and to 
carry so heavy a Cross. So did the holy 
Apostle, St Andrew; he rejoiced exceedingly in 
the Cross, and longed for it with fervent love and 
desire; because he craved in some measure to be 
like unto his God and Lord Who was crucified 
for our sakes. Oh! even in this life how great 
and enduring is the reward that we might gain, 
if we only yielded ourselves wholly and joyfully 
to the Will of God. Suffering and all kinds of 
affliction are indeed most precious and fruitful 
and make men so like Him, that our Lord will 
not leave any of His Friends without suffering. 
For, rather than that His chosen ones should be 
undisciplined and unprepared, He is ready to 
create suffering out of nothing, and allows them 
to be tried by all sorts of irrational and dishonest 
things, that by means of them they may be 
prepared. 

But, alas! in these times, we are altogether 
unworthy of these fruitful gifts of God; we 


138 THE INNER WAY 


are careless and unreceptive. We protect our- 
selves from them, and struggle against them as 
much as lies in our power; for we will not 
suffer anyone to try us or to afflict us either by 
word or deed. When anyone attacks us, we fly 
at him at once, like angry dogs; we assert our- 
selves, and excuse ourselves in words, or in our 
own minds, by thinking that we were right or 
wrong, and that we ought not to allow ourselves 
to be oppressed in any way. Alas! why is our 
nature so untamed, so wild and unmortified ; and 
why are we so foolish? We ought to think of © 
suffering and affliction as necessary for us, though - 
we are unworthy of them, and we should at all — 
times thankfully and humbly receive the good — 
gifts of God in silence, humility, meekness and 
patience, like that upright and steadfast Job. 
We should always feel that we are guilty and 
suffer justly, however unjustly we may have been ~ 
treated according to our own view; neither 
ought we to justify ourselves. Thus we may 
attain to true Divine Peace and stir up our fellow- — 
men to all virtues. This would be more praise- 
worthy and well-pleasing unto God, than any 
outward discipline that we could devise or carry — 
out for ourselves. | 
Know this, dear children, that if all our teachers 
were buried, and all our books were burned, we 
should still find enough teaching and contrast to 
ourselves in the Life and Example of our Lord — 
Jesus Christ, wherever we might need it, if 
we only diligently and earnestly learn how He 
went before, in silent patience, in gentleness, in 


a 


ST MARY MAGDALENE 139 


adversity, in temptations of the Evil One, in resig- 
nation, in scorn, in poverty, and in all manner of 
bitter suffering and pain. Surely, if we oftener 
examined ourselves in this most useful and salutary 
Mirror, we should more readily and joyfully 
suffer affliction and adversity, and be better able 
to overcome and resist temptations and evil sug- 
gestions, in whatever way they attacked us or 
encountered us. All suffering and all work 
would be much lighter and easier to suffer and 
to bear, and then all the things that we see and 
hear would tend only to our good. 

For, if we wish to attain to great and fruitful 
peace in God, in nature, but not of this world, 
we must first diligently and earnestly learn to 
make the best of all things, and to endure, 
kindly and meekly, the behaviour of all kinds 
of men, their ways and customs; for they will 
often try and afflict us. The behaviour of other 
men and their ways will often vex and displease 
us; it will seem to us as though one person 
talked too much, another too little; one was too 
indolent, another too energetic; one erring in 
one way, another in another. Customs and 
fashions are so many and so various, that they 
assail us in many secret and unsuspected ways. 
We must learn to withstand them all vigorously, 
that they may take no root in us. By reason of 
weakness we cannot always keep our hearts free’; 
yet we can at least vigorously check any out- 
break in words, so that we shall neither condemn 
nor judge others, nor talk much of the lives and 
doings of others, either openly or in secret, how- 


140 THE INNER WAY 


ever much we may be tempted. By acting thus 
we shall be great gainers ;, we shall be much less 


likely to break out; for we shall be more — 


; 


inclined to peace and kindliness, and be better — 


able to endure. Our dear Lord Jesus Christ 
set us an example by so gently and meekly 
suffering the traitor Judas, and all those who 
hated Him, to remain near Him, although He 
knew all the hatred and unfaithfulness that they 
bore towards Him, and for which He, Who was 
Himself without guilt and sin, might justly have 
punished them. No one in this world is ‘so 
perfect that if he were to examine his own 
heart, he would not find sin enough of which 
to rid himself, so that he would not be able justly 
to reprove others. 

Therefore, dear children, learn from my 
weaknesses to know your own, and rid your- 
selves of them. Take all my words, not my 
works, as from God; for I have studied them 
all in the book of my transgressions; take them 
earnestly to heart as a gentle warning and ex- 
hortation, not as an instruction; for I know that 
I need really to be taught by you and all men. 
He who does not occupy himself at home with 
a collected mind and pure heart in true humility 
cannot withstand temptation vigorously, nor 
acknowledge truth in all sincerity. Voluntary 
poverty is better than all the goods of this world, 


and union with God than heaven and earth full 


of blessings given by the command of God. 
May the everlasting peace of God be with you 
throughout all time and eternity: Amen. 


ST LAURENCE 141 


SERMON XVI 


On roe Feast or tHE Hoty Martyr, St 
LaurENCE 

Who the true Servants of God are, who serve Him 
in truth, and follow Him, however, and wherever, 
He may lead them. Of the causes of wandering 
thoughts and a discontented mind on account of 
outward things. How a man in the service of God 
ought to be assured of his entrance into Eternal Life, 
and not only to presume it. How he should train 
himself in this life, that he may gain more knowledge 
and draw ever nearer. 


Qui mihi ministrat, me sequatur. 


~1F any man minister to me, let him follow 
me.” ! 

These words are full of truth and instruction. 
They make known to us simply who the true 
servants of God are, who serve God and follow 
Him in truth, and how and whither He leads 
them. God does not lead all His servants by 
one road, nor in one way, nor at one time; for 
God is in all things; and that man is not serving 
God aright, who can only serve Him in his 
own self-chosen way. If such men do not 
follow their usual course, they can do nothing 
properly ; and when God would lead them by 
another way, they turn back, and waste their 
affections on the things which surround them. 
They are not the servants of God, for they 
turn away from God, Whom alone they ought 


1 John xii. 26. 


142 THE INNER WAY 


to serve, at all times, in all places, and by all 
their actions. Because God is in all things, 
and they do not in all things serve Him solely 
and entirely, and do not set Him truly and 
sincerely before them, they fritter away their 
opportunities, and are discontented with all their 
works and ways, with all men and with all 
places. 

What is the cause of this distraction and dis- — 
content? The first cause is that God has not 
entered into thy heart, and is not rooted there ; 
and thou hast, instead, thought out for thyself 
and made thee a God, whom thou desirest to — 
have in thy being, but who does not exist. 
Therefore, when thy imagination departs, the 
presence of God fails thee. The second cause — 
is that man devotes himself and clings to things 
which are apparent to the senses. He who — 
desires to keep himself unspotted, must let all — 
outward visible things pass by, and must force 
his way on, as through things that he heeds 
not, while he makes use of nothing that is not 
absolutely needful for the present time. But, 
if even then he finds there is anything that he 
does not need, he must keep away from it, and 
give neither time nor place to any being that 
is not in God. He does rightly, who acts as 
though he said: “I think of, I seek for, and 
I follow after, God only.”” He should greet all 
those whom he meets, and bless God, going on 
his own way; for what could be more like hell 
or the Devil to him, than want of love for Him 
Whom all creatures long for? Man should press 


ST LAURENCE 143 


onwards, with all his might, through all obstacles, 
overcoming them in God. He must not trouble 
himself too much about anything that detains him, 
either love or sorrow ; and he must not repeat 
what does not concern him; that God may 
manifest Himself to him in all things, and that 
he may remain undisturbed in his own mind. 
Man can only do this by setting his affections 
on God alone, and on nothing else. 

But if, against thy will, anything which is not 
solely of God should be mixed up with thy 
work, as soon as thou art aware of it, bestir 
thyself, and turn thy ship round with the rudder 
of discretion. When the servant of God acts 
in this way, however much that is distracting 
may enter into his works and ways, most certainly 
he will neither be confused nor led astray. Even 
if he be not conscious of the Presence of God 
within him, yet God is undoubtedly there; so 
that, if neither sin nor the creature banish Him, 
the man will not be disturbed by any works or 
unexpected events. But if his works and ways 
rob him of his peace, he will, of a truth, find 
out for himself, or from others, that the true 
foundation is wanting, or has been destroyed ; 
his works have not been done aright, and all his 
actions have not been truly centred in God. But 
if the man finds that God is not within him, 
he must feel after Him with all his might, that 
he may find Him; and he must put away all 
that might cause him to err, whatever it may 
be, or however it may be called. He will be, 
otherwise, like a man who has a dart in his body 


144 THE INNER WAY ; 


{ 
which he cannot pull out without giving him- 
self pain; and who, if he does not pull it 
out, will have to suffer still greater pain and 
distress. 

Verily, if anything else is clearer to thee than 
God alone, or of which He is not the true 
Source, it must find no place in thee. If thou 
canst not bear the first suffering, whatever it may 
be, then greater suffering will follow; and then 
woe after woe will come, even more than man 
can conceive. ‘Thy mind must be empty of all 
else, pure and seeking God only, filled only with 
_ Hin, and with nothing else, as though thou wert 
ready to say: ‘Dear Lord, could I but only 
show Thee some measure of love in all places, 
and in the sight of all men, I would set myself 
to do it in all humility.”’ But, if man is inclined 
to choose that which is next to God, let him 
strive to gain love, choose flight from all dis- 
tractions, and, diligently and with all his might, 
turn his thoughts within. Man must serve God 
in all things, both outwardly and inwardly, and 
in all his actions, not according to his own will, 
but according to God’s dear Will. For if a man 
has not God in his heart, he walks uncertainly 
and insecurely ; as the Holy Scriptures say : 
«Woe to him that is alone, for when he falleth, 
he hath none to lift him up.” ! That man is 
indeed alone who has not God always within 
him, in his heart and in all his ways. But if he 
were first of all to take refuge with our Lord, 
then his castle, that is, his heart and soul, would 

1 Eccles, iv. to. 


ST LAURENCE 145 


be well garrisoned and protected, and his enemies 
would be unable to prevail against him. The man 
who lays hold on God, and desires Him only, 
will find that He is all-sufficient. All things 
will be but the road to God for him; and, 
content with whatever may come, he will attain 
to peace with himself and all mankind. 

Thus those men, to whom in truth God is 
present everywhere, will make greater progress, 
and attain all virtues more quickly than when 
there is greater equality. For when men stand 
on the same level, they must keep diligent 
watch over their own minds, and must examine 
closely how they respond in all their actions, their 
love and sorrow. But, when men are unequal, 
it is not so; then it comes to pass of itself, 
through man’s depravity and subjection; and, 
in this response of inequality, man will surely 
become conscious whether he be really the faith- 
ful servant of God. If it should come to pass 
that the man himself should fail, he would not 
remain long in that condition; but, laying the 
blame on his own littleness and worthlessness, he 
would quickly turn again in all humility to God, 
his true Foundation. Should he linger long in 
his failing, and want to find out how he came 
to give way, and whether he ought to have done 
this or that, he would only be held back the 
longer by unrighteousness. If thou desirest to 
be safe, turn at once in thy emptiness to God. 
If thou hast been inconsistent, how canst thou 
better become consistent again than in God only? 


How canst thou better escape death than by the 


146 THE INNER WAY 7 


true, real Life, which is God Himself? Where 
can a man warm himself better than by the fire ? 
So it is in God. Man must bring all that 
concerns him to God, and leave all with Him. 
God will provide for him in the best of ways. 
He must trust all things to God; and, in that 
trust, he must be ready to accept all things, as 
for the best, and rest in peace. 

But if man will not fully cast himself on God, 
and trust in Him, but wants to busy himself 
about everything and is full of care, God often 
lets him fall into misery and distress, that he may 
see how far he can get in his own strength. But 
if he trusts himself to God in all things in full 
confidence, then most certainly God will provide 
for him, both outwardly and inwardly, far better 
than any creature could. For God is full of 
grace and truth; and whatever we ask of Him, 
in full confidence, we shall assuredly receive ; 
for just as it is impossible for us to love God 
too well, so also it is impossible to trust Him 
too much, if otherwise our intentions are right 
and good. This true peace is found by man in 
the depths of his own heart, which is the true 
Dwelling-place of God. When he first turns to 
God, he must needs be empty, he must have 
leisure, time and place for Him. There, in the 
innermost heart of man, this tree will grow up, 
with all its branches and fruits. For within, 
emptied of all else, ways and means of coming 
to God will be revealed to man; and he will 
also learn to understand God’s dealings with 
him ; the more he yields himself to this know- 


‘ST LAURENCE 147 


ledge, the more clearly will God’s ways be made 
known unto him. 

When a man finds that in himself, or in other 
men, this is wanting, he must understand that 
the way thereto has been destroyed, so that 
neither time, place nor leisure has been given 
to God, and that assuredly he has not sought 
this knowledge from within. 

Know, that such men depend all their lives 
long on the appearance of spirituality in their 
own actions; while all the time they know not 
themselves, and never find themselves in God; 
they let that alone. They make themselves 


believe that they are resigned, whereas they are 


showing criminal heedlessness ; then other things 
come to pass which rob God of His rightful 
place; they fill it with themselves, or else with 
something belonging to them. It is just as 
impossible for man to possess God without love, 
as it is impossible that a man can exist without 
a soul, whether he be conscious of it or not. 
Thus a man goes on blindly and fearlessly, 
trusting to his appearance of spirituality, or to 
the good works that he does, avoiding self- 
examination, and imagining that he has taken 
the right road. When such a man comes to 
his end, he finds that it is eternal death ; for he 
did not go by that Way which is Christ Himself, 
who has said : “*1 am the Way, and the Truth, 
and the Life.”"1 He who goeth not by that 
Way, goeth astray. It is indeed a disgrace, and 
a great crime, that a man learns and knows about 
1 John xiv. 6. 


148 THE INNER WAY ; 
so many other things, while he neither knows, 
nor wishes to know himself. 

Dear children, no one ought to allow himself 
to be in doubt of his own eternal life; he ought 
to be sure of it, and not only imagine it. That 
is, he ought to know whether he has God 
within him, in his heart; and, on the other 
hand, whether he really longs for God. If he 
does not possess this true knowledge, then let 
him seek it of wise and holy men, that he may 
know, for certain, and not only imagine how 
things are with him. All the Saints, as well as 
the Virgin Mary, and all creatures, could not 
win for such a man, even with tears of blood, 
one moment more from God than he had 
deserved in this present life. ‘Those who were 
ready went in joyfully to the marriage with the 
Bridegroom ; while to those who were not ready, 
but who wanted to prepare themselves, He said 
with an oath: “Amen, I say to you, I know 
you not.””1_ Where was it that He knew them 
not? Amongst those whom He knew as His 
own in the Kingdom of Heaven, and who stand 
in His Presence before His Face ; He knew them 
not amongst those heavenly hosts; for they 
came too late. However loudly they knocked, 
yet the Lord opened not the door unto them. 

St Augustine says: “Nothing is so certain 
as death, and nothing is so uncertain as the 
hour of death.’? For, wherever and however it 
may come, of the time and the hour knoweth 
no man. Therefore nothing can be more 

1 Matt. xxv. 12. 


ST LAURENCE 149 


necessary than that we should be ready at all 
times, and that we should know that we are, 
and not only hope so. We have been placed 
in this life, not only to do the works, but also 
that we may know, so that our works may grow 
out of knowledge, as fruit grows out of the tree. 
Therefore our work in this life is to gain more 
knowledge, and so to come nearer to God. 
He who has forced his way through, and who, 
according to the Will of God, can lift up his 
mind above this world, and who has ordered 
his life and his secret thoughts aright, will not 
be confused, distracted or hindered by the 
things that pertain to this life; but they will 
only serve to drive him to God. Therefore, if 
a man’s mind and inward inclinations are stead- 
fastly fixed on God with pure intentions, and his 
ways are ordered in peace, while he remains 
undisturbed in all good works, it is a sure sign 
that he is a righteous man, and that all his 
works are pure and true. This he seems to 
desire earnestly at all times; for he is like a 
corpse buried in the ground, that his soul may 
be buried in the depths of the Godhead. We 
haye been placed in this world for this reason, 
and for none other. Whatever we neglect here 
will be lost to us for all eternity. To him 
whose superscription is on the penny, will the 
penny most certainly be given. Therefore every 
man should often search out his own heart, and 
seek diligently till he find whose superscription 
is there ; what it is that he most loves and thinks 
of, whether it is God, or himself, or created 


150 THE INNER WAY 


beings, either living or dead. That which most 
fills his mind, his heart and his soul; that to 
which he most joyfully responds, whether from 
without or from within, will claim the penny 
with the superscription, and will receive it with- 
out any questioning. ‘The man who searches — 
out these things with real care, will assuredly 
learn to whom he belongs; it will not only be 
guess-work. For, if in thy heart thou thinkest 
of and lovest something which is not truly and 
only of God, and of which He is not the Source, 
but thou thyself; whatever it is, and however 
small, if thou knowingly and intentionally 
allowest it to remain in thee, God will never 
truly dwell in thee. Even if thou wert to weep — 
as many tears as there are drops in the ocean, it 
would be of no avail; thou ‘wilt lack His 
Presence as long as eternity lasts. . 

O, children! what are poor men about, when, — 
having eyes that see, they allow themselves to — 
be blinded by the creature, and will not guard 
against their own deceitful nature, which is so 
secretly absorbed with itself and with other 
things. Therefore examine your own minds, 
both outwardly and inwardly ; desire God only ; 
give Him free, empty and untroubled hearts, in 
which ye truly have no place yourselves, that — 
He may work His noble work in you, and that — 
He and none other may find a place there. — 
May God help us to keep ourselves thus empty~ 
and free. Amen. 


OUR LADY 151 


SERMON XVII 
Own THe AssuMPTION OF OUR Lapy 


That we ought not to rest with delight in any 
earthly or spiritual things, but only in our unknown 
God. How we ought to dwell in the Divine Inherit- 
ance, so that we may attain to that which is Eternal ; 
or how we ought to share, with love and thankful- 
ness, in the Sufferings and Life of our Lord in this life, 
that we may attain to the Glorified Inheritance of His 
precious Godhead. 


In omnibus requiem quesivi, et in hereditate 
Domini morabor. 


* [X all these I sought rest, and I shall abide 
in the inheritance of the Lord.’ ! 

The wise man spake these words, and we 
interpret them of our dear Lady, who well 
might say: “In all these I sought rest, and I 
shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord.” 

These words may be most suitably used of 
our dear Lady, for in mind she soared above the 
heavens, into the very depths of hell, into the 
deep sea and oyer the whole surface of the globe, 
and yet found norest. No one in this life should 
strive to soar so high, but every one should fix 
an hour eyery day, at which he should offer unto 
our Lady special service and praise, and beseech 
her earnestly to guide us, draw us and help us 
im coming to her dearly-beloved Child; for her 
_ worth transcends all estimation and measure. 
What a marvel it is that she should have laid 


1 Ecclus. xxiv. 11. 


ts2 THE INNER WAY 


her Creator and her God in her bosom ; loving 
Him intensely above all imagining; and yet 
that she should never have doubted, but was 
always certain, that He was her God. She 
could behave to Him as His Mother, and He 
walked with her as her Child; and yet, never — 
for one moment in all her life was she content 
with this; but in mind she soared ever above, 
and was lost in the Divine Abyss, in which alone’ 
she found her rest, her inheritance and her — 
dwelling-place. | 
Children, the poison of the first. Fall has sunk 
into the very depths of our mature. We have 
been made and placed between the two ends; 
time and Eternity. ‘Time for us ought to be 
nothing more than a passage to the end; and 
Eternity should be our aim and our dwelling- 
place. Now poor man, unhappily, because of 
his fallen nature and his blindness, is attacked by 
everything on his weakest side; he rests himself 
by the way and forgets his true destiny. His 
nature clings to everything with which it comes 
into contact; it clutches at whatever it may be, 
and seeks rest therein, either bodily or spiritual, 
internal or external. It is quite apparent how 
worldly men seek their rest and pleasure; and 
they will surely find out hereafter how things 
stand with them. But those who hide worldly 
hearts under a spiritual appearance, and find rest 
in temporal things, whoever they may be, and 
whatever may be the cares which oppress them, 
would find, if they only knew it, what would make 
their hearts shrivel up in terror. God made all 


OUR LADY 1§3 


things that are needful, not for our satisfaction 
or pleasure, but for Himself alone. 

Children, I should be quite misunderstood 
were I to be supposed to have said: “I will 
not hear anyone’s confession unless he promises 
to do what I want.” It would be very wrong 
to say, “what I want.’ I require nothing from 
any one beyond that which is written ; and I beg 
that no one will make me this promise. I can 
absolve no one that is not sorry for his sins, neither 
can the Pope himself, unless the man desires to 
amend his life and to guard against sin, and also 
against the causes of sin, as much as lies in his 
power. Some men cling willingly and con- 
sciously to the causes of sin, and then go to 
confession and receive the Lord’s Body, while 
they will not acknowledge their sin. Because 
they do not steal and are not unchaste they go 
on as they are. They must judge for themselves 
how they can be absolved; they must find out, 
indeed, what repentance and sorrow there can 
be, when they thus look for rest and peace, while 
seeking for satisfaction, apart from God, either 
in their fellow-creatures, in clothes, in food or 
in creature comforts. Such men also seek for 
peace in spiritual matters and in things which 
look good ; when such men have done anything 
wrong, they hurry off to make an outward con- 
fession, before they have confessed to God in 
their hearts, and have humbly pleaded guilty. 
They seek for natural repose in this outward 
confession, that they may get peace, and that the 
blame and reproofs of their own consciences may 


is4 THE INNER WAY ’ 


f 


be stilled and silenced ; for, when men soul 
confessed, their minds are at ease and they are 
content. Confession and rebuke are like a fresh 
wound ; they rub and scrub away the blight of sin. - 
Now, nature also seeks for rest in spiritual 
exercises. Some men hold so fast to their 
inner works and ways, to their exercises and 
secret discipline, that these good: things lead 
them to wander from the Lord to lesser truths. 
In short, all in which man seeks for rest, and 
which is not wholly in God, is corrupt, how- 
ever good it may be or seem to be, whether 
without form, or void, or senseless, or endowed 
with sense and usefulness. All that man rests 
in with delight, and possesses, is corrupt. Seek 
only for simple immersion in that bare, single, 
unknown, unnamed secret Good, which is God, 
denying self and all that may be found in self. 
As St Dionysius says: ‘*God is not only that 
which thou canst receive of Him. He is above 
all wisdom, above all beings, above all goodness, 
above all that thou canst receive or know of 
Him. He is more than and higher than any- 
thing that man’s understanding can conceive ; 
higher and yet lower, more and yet more, and 
far above all things.”’ Seek thy rest in this 
unknown God, but expect neither taste nor sight. 
Act like a dog, which comes and finds a good 
piece of meat; though he dares not touch it, and 
flees; for he is so used to hard blows. Here- 
after thou wilt find that thus it really is; only 
bear thyself humbly in ‘thy absolute nothingness, 
which is verily thy true condition. If anything 


OUR LADY 155 


is there, it is His, not thine; and turn not aside 
to all that seems plain to thee; though it be 
without form or sense, and is supernatural. 
Men say: “It is all real to me; and this 
proves that it is God.’’ Dear child, turn not 
there for rest; let it alone, whatever it may be; 
ask no more, but keep thyself under; sink 
beneath thine ignorance, neither desire to know. 

- Keep thyself poor in thy hidden unknown God ; 
and believe that thou art not the man who could 
in any way understand the great, unknown and 
hidden God. Rest in Him, and dwell in Him, 
and not in tasting and seeing. 

It is written in the prophet Ezekiel: “ The 
men that go into the sanctuary . . . shall 
have no inheritance; I am their inheritance.’ } 
Although this refers primarily to the priesthood, 
yet in a spiritual sense it refers to all men who 
desire to enter into the Holy of Holies, that is 
unto the secret Mystery of God. They are to 
have no inheritance, because the Divine, un- 
known, nameless, secret Being of God shall be 
their inheritance. They shall not bow their 
heads before anything else, either external or 
internal, or it will become corrupt. Turn not 
to it as though all were bad. Take that which 
is rough and uneven, rather than tasting and 
feeling. My dear child, rest not, seek not that 
which is thine own. As God chose to create 
and to make all things, before Him there was 
nothing but nothing. He did not make all 
things out of something, but out of nothing. 


1 Ezekiel xliv. 28. 


156 THE INNER WAY 


When God chooses to work alone, He needs 
nothing but nothing. That which is nothing is 
more receptive of His works than that which is 
something. If thou desirest to be unceasingly 
susceptible of all that God may give, may work 
in and desire to see in the life and being of His 
most chosen Friends; and if thou desirest, 
especially, that He may pour out upon thee 
all His gifts; see to it, above all things, that 
in truth, in the very depths of thy heart, thou 
art nothing; for our self-assertion and self- 
pleasing hinder the work of God in us. The 
holy Job was praised by our Lord, Who said 
that he was upright, and perfect, and that his 
equal was not to be found, and that he had never — 
spoken a foolish word; and yet Job said: “ All — 
that I have shall go down into the deepest pit.’” ? 
This holy man did not mean by this to refer 
to himself, and all that belonged to him, as 
created out of nothing, because man has no part 
in this; but he referred to himself, and all who 
belonged to him, who had come to nought, 
through his sins. This righteous man desired 
on account of his guilt to descend into the very 
lowest depths of the abyss, into the greatest — 
suffering and deepest darkness of hell, as though — 
he were speaking wisely either of his sins, or of 
the guilt that he had incurred, as though it were 
possible to do enough; he desired to suffer the 
severest and sharpest pain, and never to escape from 
it, till he had given satisfaction for this load of guilt. 
One of our brethren, named Wigmann, spake 


1 Job xvii. 26. 


————-- 


OUR LADY 157 


in like manner. He was so conscious of his own 
nothingness that he could find no place for 
himself but in the lowest depths of hell, in the 
domains of Lucifer. As he lay there, he heard 
a voice calling from the highest heavens, which 
said : “ Wigmann, come up to the highest Throne, 
the Father’s Heart.” Gregory says, that these 
men seek death and find it not. This love 
in fathomless annihilation answers to the life in 
truth, unsought, undesired, unintended; for the 
lower, the higher, and the less, the more. 

Now let us take these words of our dear 
Lady. “I shall abide in the inheritance of the 
Lord.”’ There are two inheritances in which we 
ought to live. One is temporal, a worthy life 
with suffering in the Likeness of our Lord. The 
other inheritance, that for which we wait, is the 
glorified inheritance of the Blessed Godhead ; 
the promise is made unto us that we shall be 
joint-heirs with Him, and members of His house- 

hold throughout eternity. If we possess this 
temporal inheritance in faith, love, and thankful- 
ness, (even the Sufferings ahd Life of our Lord), 
in the same measure, in which we have disci- 
plined ourselves, shall we also possess the Eternal 
Inheritance,—only more richly and blessedly. 

The wounds of our Lord are all healed, except 
the Five Wounds, which will remain open until the 
Judgment Day; the Brightness of the Godhead 
which shines forth from them, and the blessed- 
ness which the Saints and Angels receive from 
them, is inexpressible. These five Doors should 
be our inheritance here; and we must enter 


158 THE INNER WAY 


through them into our Eternal Inheritance, our 
Fatherland. The Holy Ghost is the Porter, the 
Door-keeper of these doors. His dear love is 
ever ready to open unto us when we knock, and 
to let us in, that we may enter through them into 
the Inheritance of the Father; and, assuredly, — 
no man can go astray who enters thereby. 

These Five Wounds should teach us five lessons, 
which will guide us to all remedies; they are 
Suffering, Silence, Abstinence, Contempt and 
Self-denial in true resignation. Fall down before 
the left Foot, and draw from it strength to avoid 
all the pleasures and gratifications that thou hast, 
or desirest to have, apart from Him. Then 
immerse thyself with all thy power in the wound 
in the right Foot, and learn to suffer whatever 
may come upon thee, either from within or from 
without, and from whatever cause. ‘Then draw 
sweetness from the right Hand, and beseech God 
to enable thee to keep silence, both outwardly 
and inwardly. No evil can ever befall him who 
possesses these virtues, and keeps silence about 
all things. ‘Then draw from the left Hand 
strength to despise all temporal things, both 
outwardly and inwardly, and all the changes and 
chances that thou lovest and carest for in spite of 
Him. Then flee, with all that thou hast, to 
His dear Heart that He has opened for His 
own, who willingly give Him their hearts. He 
will embrace them therein with the arms of His 
great Love; and then shall they receive of His 
eternally. Then man must learn to be ever 
denying himself in all ways; in love and sorrow, 


ST AUGUSTINE 159 


in possession and in want, in time and in eternity, 
as the Lord wills, and as it pleases Him that it 
shall come to pass in thee and in all creatures. 

Thus, and in many holy meditations, ye must 
exercise yourselves in this blissful inheritance, 
and enter into this Eternal Inheritance by this 
safe Gate. Offer His guiltless Suffering to the 
Heavenly Father for your guilty suffering, His 
guiltless Thoughts for yonr guilty ones, and His 
Holy Word for your guilty words; and in like 
manner all His Actions, His Humility, His 
Patience, His Meekness and His Love, for all 
that is wanting in you, both without and within. 
If you thus possess this inheritance here with Him, 
the future inheritance is assured to you, that ye 
may dwell and rest for ever in the Inheritance of 
the Lord. Amen. 


SERMON XVIII 


On tHe Feast or St AvGUSTINE 


How man should keep strict watch and guard over 
all his life and his discipline. How wonderfully God 
exalts those who truly wait for Him, far above all 
temporal things; and then, for their good, smites and 
humbles them with all manner of troubles and tempta- 
tions, that they may be driven and helped along the 
safest road to everlasting Salvation. 

Vigilate, quia nescitis, qua hora Dominus vester 
venturus sit. : 
M8 W ATCH ye therefore, because you know 
not what hour your Lord will come.” } 
St Augustine says: ‘“‘ Ye must be watching, for 
1 Matt. xxiv. 42. 


160 THE INNER WAY 


ye know not when the Lord will be coming to 
the marriage.” 

The Enemy exerts all his cunning and dexterity 
unceasingly that he may destroy us everlastingly. 
He is always looking out to find an hour or a 
moment, when we are not diligent in our medita- 
tions, and have forgotten a window open in our 
imaginations, and are not standing on our guard ; 
then he creeps in at once and steals all our goods. 
Therefore guard your windows, and watch, that 
he may not undermine your house like a thief; 
therefore watch unceasingly with all thy strength 
and with a collected mind. For as soon as a 
man gives place to pride, and is well-pleased 
with himself, and becomes presumptuous and self- 
willed, the Enemy is immediately on the spot, © 
and robs him of his purse of good works. . 
Children, what will ye see and find after this 
life in those who have been famed for austerity 
and good works, and who have had great names, © 
and have made a great show, but whose self-— 
satisfaction and love of ease have deprived them — 
so entirely of all, that they will be thankful to 
be placed amongst the peasants, amongst un- 
learned and inexperienced men. And some poor, 
simple men, held in esteem by none, will, on 
account of their humble and oppressed condi- 
tion, stand so high above them, that they will 
scarcely be visible to them. Therefore, 
watch with brave hearts and open eyes, and 
see the plain truth, without any distinctions 
in thought, words, works and deeds, in all 
actions, in virtuous deeds, in patient suffering; 


ST AUGUSTINE 161 


and examine yourselves both outwardly and in-| 
wardly. 

Children, ye know not in what danger ye 
stand, on account of your natural weakness, your 
terribly wicked sins, and on account of the great 
and unsurpassable good that we might receive 
unceasingly from God. Ye know not how His 
clear Divine Eyes search us through and through ; 
while man, so full of impurity, stands before 
Him, and all that is not purified of that which 
is not of God in truth, is spread out before the 
Face of God. 

How deeply we shall feel our shame! and 
how surely all will be judged! It is written: 
“And if the just man shall scarcely be saved, 
where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ?? 
St Augustine says: “Woe be to all in un- 
righteousness, if God will not judge them ac- 
cording unto mercy.” Therefore, if ye could 
only know in what danger all stand, who desire 
something else than God, your human minds 
would be unable to bear it. The holy Job said : 
« How long wilt Thou not spare me, nor suffer 
me to swallow down my spittle? I have sinned ; 
what shall I do to Thee, O Keeper of men? 
why hast Thou set me opposite to Thee?” ® 

Then in the Gospel we read: ‘ Watch 
therefore; let your loins be girt, and lamps 
burning in your hands, and you yourselves like 
to men who wait for their lord, when he shall 


return from the wedding.” Ye have heard of 


this watching. 


1, Peter iv. 18. 2 Job vii. 19,20. %Luke xii. 35, 36. 


L 


162 THE INNER WAY 


Now ye must notice three points here. . First, 
your loins must be girded and bound round as 
with a cord, so that ye can be drawn and guided 
against your will, like a horse which is bridled, 


and can be held up when about to fall. The 


loins are sensual pleasures, which must be bound, 
and tamed, and girded up, and never allowed 
their liberty. ‘The second point is, that ye must 
have burning torches in your hands; that is, 
the sweet reality of true, fervent love, both 


within and without. Ye must, as far as possible, — 


never let it pass out of your hands; and ye 
must especially meditate on it, one with another, 
according to your power. The third point is, 
that ye must wait for your Lord till He comes 
from the wedding. ‘‘ Blessed are those servants 
whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find 
watching.’ ! . He will set them over all His 
goods, and gird Himself and serve them. 

This marriage, from which the Lord comes, 
is in the very innermost parts of the soul, where 
the Image of God is. ‘The nearness of the soul 
to God, and of God to the soul, the wonderful 
works God does there, and the joy and delight 
which God has there, are beyond all reason and 
understanding; although man himself knows 
nothing and feels nothing thereof. But the 
men, in whom God thus rejoices, and with 
whom He thus unites Himself, are the men 
who have turned with all their hearts and all 
their desires to God, away from the world and 
all creatures, and who ever desire to live only 

1 Luke xii. 37. ; 


ST AUGUSTINE 163 


unto Him. But He will have nothing to do 
with the men who devote themselves with all 
their hearts to their own concerns, whether living 
or dead. 

- Now, if the Lord tarries too long, these men 
who are waiting are seen by the Enemy, and he 
comes and suggests some desire to them, either 
from without or from within, so that they may 
rest therein. Give no heed to him ; remain on 
thy guard. Blessed are those servants who wait, 
for they know not when the Lord will come, 
whether it will be in the first, the second or the 
third watch of the night. Then He will wait 
on them, and serve them, and allow them to be 
conscious of a foretaste of the hidden Union; 
and thus He will strengthen them, that waiting 
may not be too hard for them. He gives them, 
in that which they experience, the sweetness of 
His Love, that their love may be strengthened 
thereby. Now St Gregory takes up the words 
of the Psalter and says: ‘I have gone far away 
in flight; and I abode in the wilderness.’’ } 
When the inner man has thus waited and waited, 
he must go away, fly from all things, and remain 
in solitude. This solitude is formed not only by 
a man giving up all the external distractions of 
his outward faculties, but also the inner distrac- 
tions of his inner powers. These are the powers 
of imagination, in pictures and phantasies, and in 
thoughts, so that man turns away from all forms 
and fancies, and dwells in solitude; and, when 
he has overcome this affliction and has endured, 

1 Ps, liv. 8. 


164 THE INNER WAY 


then the Lord, for Whom he has been waiting, 
comes in a moment, and with one glance exalts 
him above all things, and delights him after his 
long waiting. Then He strikes him down again, 
and oppresses him, that he may not be overmuch 
exalted by his experience. . 

Jeremias, the prophet, says of such an one: 
“<I sat not in the assembly of jesters, nor did I 
make a boast of the Presence of Thy Hand; I sat 
alone, because Thou hast filled me with threats ; ”” ! 
as though he had been threatened with both fists. 

The first fist, with which he is threatened, is" 
a darkness which comes over him from within, 
while he is led by a dark and miserable road. 
He knows nothing, and he has nothing, and he 
is attacked, besides, by all kinds of misfortunes, 
sins and temptations ; by pride, uncleanness, un- 
belief and many other temptations, of which he 
thought he had long been freed, and which he 
imagined he had overcome; they threaten him 
and cause him great fear. The other fist which 
threatens him is, that God holds up His terrible 
judgments before him, so that the man feels that 
his only rightful place is in the lowest depths of 
hell. These two fists keep him down wonder- 
fully, and God desires by all these threatenings 
to root out the evil, poisonous growth of pride. 
All desires are more quickly extinguished in 
those who rightly understand these fists, than 
they could be by much external discipline lasting 
for many years. 

Now, when man goes in with the prophet, and 

1 Jer. xv. 17: 


ST AUGUSTINE 165° 


wishes to dwell with him, and he finds that all 
storms, thoughts, imaginings and figures are stilled 
within him, then God and the holy Angels come, 
and suddenly, in a moment, real love is given to 
him, so that he perceives something that he is to 
do for Holy Christendom, or for the dead or the 
living ; it flashes upon him in an instant. Then 
the Enemy also comes, and looks about to see 
whether he also can find his own here. He 
makes an attack, and, adding thereto suffering 
and thoughts, casts them before the man. But 
he must not heed them, he must let them pass 
by him ; for if he does not love nor desire them, 
the Enemy will have to go his own way, ashamed 
and empty-handed, and the man will be greatly 
furthered by this attack. 

In some lands men may be found who cultivate 
false poverty, lay aside all work, and protect 
themselves from all good thoughts, saying they 
have attained to peace; they will not exercise 
themselves in deeds of virtue, for they say they 
have got beyond them. These men have a devil 
by their side who hinders all that can destroy 
their peace, either from without or from within, 
either in thought or in other ways of that kind, 
that they may remain at peace, so that hereafter 
he may take them with him into the eternal 
dissensions of his hell ; and, for this he preserves 
them in their false peace. The righteous do not 
take this false method, but exercise themselves 
both outwardly and inwardly, and endure in all 
the ways by which the Lord leads them, which 

_He predestined, and in darkness; and they do 


166 THE INNER WAY 


not presume that they have attained unto peace. 
They are not disquieted, because they walk in 
a narrow path, between peace and disquiet, be- 
tween hope and unrighteous fear, between safety 
and doubt. And, when true peace, liberty of 
mind and safety, reveal themselves to them, they 
at once cast them down to the ground, and do — 
not cling to them. Men who desire to walk in 
this narrow path must see above all things that 
they plant their feet firmly in the Footsteps of 
our Lord Jesus Christ; the firmer they stand 

therein, the purer will they become. ‘Then these 
threatening fists are transformed into good and 
loving hands ; our Lord receives them tenderly 

in His Fatherly Arms, and leads them up far 
above all things. Then all natural things fall 

away from them, and only those things trouble 

them which are not of God. And now the 
Lord shows: them the dark, difficult ways, and 

the narrow paths over which they have come; 

none can harm them any more, and they rejoice 

over all their sufferings. 

This is spoken, in ‘truth, against those free 
spirits who glory in their false liberty, and who, 
in false poverty boast of their false peace, taking 
their stand on their own works and ways of forty 
years and more, and on thé great deeds that they 
have done. Such men will not walk in the 
narrow path. In a great community there may 
be scarcely one ‘or two men who desire to walk 
in this way. All the others who are there hem 
them in and attack them, and cause them trouble ; 
and then, when they act wrongly, they speak 


OUR LADY 167 


hardly to them and say: “Thou must suffer for 
it!’’ but if a severe answer or unkind words 
escape thee, come to thyself at once, and ac- 
knowledge ‘thy transgression and be sorry for 
thy sin. Be silent, endure and accept all as 
from God, that thou mayest learn to know 
thyself thereby. If thou hadst shown more 
patience, thou mightest have attained to a noble 
mind. Therefore humble thyself and go for- 
wards. All will be prepared for thee, whether 
crooked or straight ; all will be for thy good, if 
only thou wilt realise it and be valiant. There- 
fore, he who thus waits on the Lord with watch- 
ful eyes, as St Augustine did, him will the Lord 
serve, and to him will He impart perfect joy, as 
He did to St Augustine. May God help us 
thereto. Amen. 


SERMON XIX 
On tHe Nativity or Our Lapy 


How the strange birth of temporal things, such as 
delight-in the creature, hinders the Divine Birth in 
man ; and how, if God is to be born in us, the cling- 
ing to old, evil habits must be broken off. 


Transite ad me omnes, qui concupiscitis me. 
Bi (COME over to me, all ye that desire me, 
and be filled with my fruits.” ! 
To-day we celebrate the nuptial day on 
which the Holy Virgin, spotless, pure and holy, 
was born of her mother. That which was 


1 Ecclus, xxiv. 26. 


168 THE INNER WAY 


lost in Paradise was brought back again by her, 
that noble likeness which the Father had fashioned 
like unto Himself, and which had been spoiled. 
Through her the Father regenerated all His 
members, that they might be brought back again 
to their original Source; and of His unfathom- — 
able mercy God desired to raise us up again, 
through her, from the eternal death into which — 
we had fallen, in as far as it was possible for us. 
Now we read these words of her in the Book — 
of Wisdom: ‘Come over to me, all ye that 
desire me, that ye may be filled with my fruits.”’ 1 _ 
These are the words of the Heavenly Father 
Who guides and entices us to this birth. These — 
words also were spoken by God, the Eternal 
Wisdom, of the Virgin; for this birth is also 
her birth. That which the Heavenly Father 
brought forth throughout eternity, she also 
brought forth ; and this teaches us that we must 
and shall be filled to overflowing with this birth. 
She said: “To all those who desire to be 
satisfied in me, to all those who, in truth, desire 
and are satisfied by this birth, to them a glimpse 
will be given, sometimes, so that their longing 
may be excited and drawn forth to desire more 
and more.” Say with St Augustine: ‘ Lord, 
thou hast made us for Thyself, and therefore 
our hearts are always restless till we find rest in 
Thee.” This restlessness, which should always 
and unceasingly be ours, is delayed and hindered 
by the strange births that are born of man. 
These are temporal, transitory, sensual, harmful 
1 Ecclus, xxiv. 26. 


OUR LADY 169 


things; delight and satisfaction in the creature, 
whether animate or inanimate; friendship and 
society ; clothes, food, and all.the things in 
which man delights. These things create rest- 
lessness in thee; and they beget such births in 
thee, so that God, as long as these births find 
place in thee with thy knowledge and consent, 
can never bring forth His birth in thee, in the 
joyful possession of thy heart. Some trifle, 
however small and mean it may be, takes from 
thee and robs thee of thy greatest good, and of 
the blissful birth that God desires to bring forth 
in thee; and it also takes away from thee all 
_ desire for it, and the consolation that thou 
oughtest to have after this birth ; all this is kept 
back by this thing of pleasure. 

Now men often complain and say: “I have 
neither loye nor desire ;”’ that is just the hind- 
rance which prevents thee and keeps thee back 
from love and desire, whatever it may be ; no one 
knows so well as thou. Ask not me, but ask thy- 
self, why thou hast no love or desire. Ye desire 
to possess both God and the creature ; but that is 
impossible. Delight in God and delight in the 
creature cannot exist side by side. By this, I 
do not mean things which are necessary for man, 
and of which we cannot deprive nature, such as 
a hungry longing for food, and a thirsty craving 
for drink, the longing of the weary for rest and 
quiet, of the sleepy for sleep—as long as they 
do not become inordinate desires. But when 
man gives way to them, not for the needs or 
uses of nature, but for the pleasure of gratifica- 


170 THE INNER WAY 


tion, this birth is hindered; though less than in 
the enjoyment of other things; for the needs of 
nature require that pleasure in these things 
shall not be separated from them, as long as 
nature is at work. 

But the man who does not wish to hinder the 
Eternal Birth, but would make an entrance for it 
by means of the desire, must remember that the 
pleasures of the senses in nature, and in the creature, 
are hindrances; for the less of them, the more 
of the other; for the more cold goes out, the 
more warmth will come in; neither must man 
remain in his chamber, idle and careless, and in 
gloomy weakness. Some men go about blindly, 
and all that they do is done blindly and foolishly 
in unfruitfulness. Thy confessor has no power 
over all these infirmities, which possess and 
deprave thee, if thou art willing to give way to 
them ; though thou wert to confess ten times a 
day, it would not help thee at all, unless thou 
wert ready to give up thy sins. Thou must 
also know that, if thou art found thus wantonly 
possessed, loving the creature more than thou 
lovest God, thou wilt never appear before the 
Face of God. This is said everywhere in 
Scripture, and in all parts of the Gospel. There 
is the command in the Old and New Testaments, 
that man should love God above all things. And 
again: “He that doth not renounce all that he — 
possesseth ’’! is not worthy of Me. Again, else- 
where ; “* Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, 
Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: 

1 Luke xiv. 33. 


= 


| 
. 


OUR LADY (71 


but he that doeth the Will of my Father Which 
is in heaven, he shall enter into the Kingdom 
of Heaven.”’! 

Do ye imagine that God would give the 
Kingdom of Heaven to unholy beings, and that 
‘He shed His Precious Blood and gave up His 
Life for them? Look to yourselves; do not 
imagine that He would allow this to come to 
pass; and, if ye knew how severely God will 
judge them, ye would wither away in terror. 
God has given all things that they may be the 
way to Him; He only will be the Goal ; nothing 
else can be, neither this nor that. 

Do ye imagine that I say this in derision? 
No, indeed! Thy Order can neither make 
thee holy nor blessed. My cowl, my tonsure, 
my cloister, my holy community—none of these 
things can make me holy. If I am to become 
holy, it must be in a holy, poor, uninhabited place. 
If I often cry: “Lord! Lord!” if I pray 
often, read much, say many beautiful things, 
understand much, and appear good ?—no, no, it 
is something quite different that is needed. If 
thou deceivest thyself, it will hurt thee, not me. 

Your worldly hearts and minds, your vanity in 
the appearance of spirituality—all these things in 
thee will be tested, just as when a bud is set in a 
stock, all the fruit which the stock will bear will 
be like the bud and not after its own kind. 
Therefore all these strange external births with 
which ye are possessed, and all your fruit, will 
be tested by the bud. Also all your good works 


1 Matt. vii. 21. 


172 THE INNER WAY 


which ought to be divine, will be of the creature 
and nothing worth, because of the evil ground — 
out of which they spring; for this birth takes 
place in all your powers, both within and without. 
Job said of this: ‘In the horror of a vision — 
by night . . . fear seized upon me and trembling, 
and all my bones were affrighted; and when a 
spirit passed before me, the hair of my flesh 
stood up.”’! The horror of the vision in the — 
night was the dark possession, which followed the — 
incomprehensible horror and fearful trembling, — 
so that all his bones were affrighted. The Spirit — 
passing before him was God passing before him. 

Now the Gospel speaks here of two pro- 
cessions. One procession is that of the Spirit, 
that is of God to us; and the other procession 
is of ourselves to God; this must have an exit, 
as ye have heard, and as the Schoolmen say: 
“'T'wo forms cannot exist together; if fire is 
kindled, the wood will be consumed ; if the tree 
grows, the germ wil] disappear.” If God is to 
enter into us, by the fulfilment of His Birth, 
then the creature will cease to exist. St Gregory 
says of this, that the hair of his head stood up 
when the Spirit passed before him,—these are 
the Levites whose hair must be cut off. They 
grow in the flesh like hair; and so also the 
tendency to old habits clings to the highest and 
lowest powers; they must be cut off with the 
sharp shears of holy diligence, which must be 
whetted and sharpened on the mighty and terrible 
judgments of God, and on the speedy justice of 

1 Job iv. 13-15. 


OUR LADY 173 


God, who will not leave the least thought un- 
judged. Even the least imagination, willingly 
received, must be cast off in the unsufferable 
fires of purgatory, before man can appear before 
God. Now, when these evil, unclean hairs have 
been cut off with sharp shears, then the hair 
grows again, and man must show renewed 
diligence. Some men are so diligent that, as 
soon as they are conscious of a thought, they cut 
it off at once with stern decision. At first it is 
rather hard to be always examining oneself; but 
afterwards, when man has accustomed himself 
thereto, it becomes quite easy ; and he can blow 
away that for which at first he needed stern 
determination. 

Man must also be filled with active love, 
which must be universal; for he must not think 
particularly of this or that person, but of all 
men; not only of the good, but also of the 
common poor. Our Lady’s father and mother, 
Joachim and Anne, were such good people. 
They divided all their goods into three parts. 
One part was for the service of God and for the 
Temple; another was for the common poor ; 
and they lived on the third part themselves. 
Wherever parsimony exists, an unclean spot will 
be found which is very evil; man should be 
generous with these contemptible, transitory 
things. To him who gives will be given, and 
he who forgives will also be forgiven. As thou 
measurest, so will it be measured to thee again. 

Now, some men cleave to things within, on 
which also there is an evil growth which they 


174 THE INNER WAY 


do not perceive ; and thus it might even come to 
pass that they might never come before God ; 
and yet these men may have lived sincerely — 
before God, and have given themselyes up to — 
severe discipline. But this is usually hidden in — 
the lowest depths of their hearts; and they have ~ 
not known it themselves, because they were — 
wanting in self-control. Therefore it would be — 
as well for such men, who wish to live to the 
truth, to have a Friend of God, to whom they 
could submit themselves, and who would direct 
them according to the Spirit of God ; for, with- 
out some personal intercourse, it is not possible 
to prove the men who have these inner tendencies. 
Such men ought to seek an experienced Friend of 
God, even twenty miles round, who would know 
the right way and guide them aright. And, if 
no especially suitable man were to be found, then 
an ordinary confessor would do; for the Holy 
Spirit often speaks through such an one, on 
account of his office; though he be ever so 
rough, and is neither conscious of it, nor under- 
stands it himself; still men should submit them- 
selves to him, and be in subjection, and not be 
their own guides. 

We have a perfect picture of this in the Blessed 
Virgin Mary. When she was a child, she was 
obedient to her father and mother ; later she was 
under the care of the priest in the Temple ; later 
she was under the care of St Joseph, later under 
that of our Lord Jesus Christ; later under that 
of St John, to whose care she was committed by 
our Lord, and who was to take His place. Now 


THE HOLY CROSS 175 


we pray earnestly that she will take us under her 
own care; and, as she was born on this day, so 
also she will bear us again in the true Source. 
Amen. 


SERMON XX 
On THE EXALTATION OF THE Hoty Cross 


Tue First SERMON 


On the health-giving Cross, which is Christ Him- 
self in His Humanity ; how He must be exalted and 
raised up in us; and how all our powers must be 
drawn up after Him; the lowest and the highest, 
although, alas, this is neglected by many men. Also, 
many wise exhortations and incitements to members of 
Religious Orders to receive the Holy Sacrament, and 
to keep their other rules. How the crucified Christ 
must be born in us and of us through the three powers 
of the soul; and how we again must be born in Him, 
in the Fruit of His Spirit. 

£go si exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia 
ad me traham. 


% ND I, if I be lifted up from the earth, 
will draw all things unto Myself.”’ ! 

To-day we celebrate the Festival of the 
Exaltation of the Holy Cross, on which hung, 
out of love, the Salvation of the World. We 
must be born again, through the Cross, into the 
true nobility which was ours in eternity. We 
must be born and revived there again by love for 
this Cross. Words cannot describe the merits 
of the Cross. Our Lord said: «<I, if I be lifted 
up from the earth, will draw all things unto Me.’’? 


1 John xii, 32. 


176 THE INNER WAY 


By this He signifies that He wishes to draw to 


Himself our worldly hearts, and our love for and 


gratification in worldly things, which we had 
gladly possessed in the creature, and our haughty 
minds, which were well satisfied with ourselves, 
and with our worldly-mindedness and love, in 
the temporal gratification of our senses. All 
this He will draw unto Himself, that He may 


be thus exalted, and that He may become great — 


in us and in our hearts; for to the man to whom 
God has ever been great, all creatures seem small, 
and fleeting pleasures are as nothing. 


This health-giving Cross signifies the Noble | 


Man, Christ, Who is exalted far above our 
imagination, above Saints and Angels, and above 
all the joy, bliss and blessedness that they enjoy 
together; and, as His true place is in the 
Highest, He desires to dwell also in our highest 
places, that is in our uppermost and innermost 
love and desires. He will draw up the lowest 
powers to the highest, and lead the lowest with 
the highest unto Himself. If we do this, He 
will draw us after Himself into His highest and 
most secret place. For thus it must needs be ; 
if I am to come to Him, I must receive Him 


into myself. So much of mine, so much of © 


His ; it is an equal bargain. 

Oh! how often this Holy Cross is quite for- 
gotten, so that this ground and secret place is 
quite closed up and refused to God, while fayour 
and love are shown to the creature; which, sad 
to say, in these dangerous times, reigns supreme 
both in worldly and religious people, so that their 


THE HOLY CROSS 177 


hearts are lost in the creature. This is the 
most grievous pity that man’s heart and mind 
can conceive; and, if he only knew how it 
would end, he would wither up in terror of the 
vengeance of God. But it is as much unheeded 
as though it were all mockery. It has, also, 
become the custom, and men approve of it, and 
call it an honour, and it is all as though it were 
a play. The Saints, if they could, would cry 
aloud and weep tears of blood, and the Wounds 
of our Lord would be torn open again by this 
misery ; that a heart, for which He gave His 
beautiful Life and His loving Holy Spirit, should 
be so shamelessly taken from Him, while He is 
driven forth. Children, do not think that these 
are my words only; all Scripture teaches you 
this: “‘ No man can serve two masters. For 
he will hate the one and love the other.” ! 
Jesus says: ‘‘If thine eye offend thee, pluck it 
out and cast it from thee;”’? and elsewhere: 
“Where thy treasure is, there is thy heart 
also.”’3 Now, find out how much God has of 
thy heart; whether He is thy Treasure. St 
Augustine says: ‘ Lovest thou the earth, thou 
art also of the earth; for the soul is more with 
that which she loveth, than where she gives life 
to the body.” St Paul says: “If I should 
deliver my body to be burned, and should speak 
with the tongues of men and of Angels, and 
should give all my goods to feed the poor, and 
yet not have charity, it profiteth me nothing.”’ 4 

1 Matt. vi. 24. 2 Matt. xviii, 9. 

3 Matt. vi. 21. 41. Cor. xiii. 

M 


178 THE INNER WAY 


Now, dear sisters, ye ought, with great and 
adoring thankfulness and active love, to accept 
the grace which God has given to your Order 
through the Sacrament of the Body of the Lord. 
I desire, also, with all my heart and soul, that 
this practice should not be allowed to grow slack 
nor fall asleep in these anxious times ; for nature 
will not long endure ; ye must cleaye firmly to 
God, or ye will fall away. Mark, it was not 
thus in days gone by; therefore, these people 
ought to exercise great and powerful self-restraint, 
that they may be preserved from this dangerous 
state. Do not imagine that this only need be done 
to attain to a state of great perfection: “They — 
that are in health need not a physician, but they | 
that are ill.”’1 It is necessary, on account of 
man’s human weakness, that he should be pro- 
tected by God’s help, and preserved from the sad — 
state of things which prevails widely amongst — 
religious people. ‘Therefore, none should speak 
as though they had attained to great perfection 
or did great deeds. It is sufficient, if they keep 
the rules of their Order, as far as they can, and 
mean to do so, and that they have permission 
to leave undone that which they cannot do. 
No great powers of reason are necessary for — 
this. It will suffice, if they desire to do willingly 
that which is right, and if their eyes are so far 
opened that they will be able to guard themselves 
against this grievous wrong, and if they keep — 
their eyes open. For this reason, our young 
sisters should go often and willingly to receive 

1 Matt. ix. 12. 


THE HOLY CROSS 179 


the Lord’s Body. I excuse and also answer 
for our dear elder sisters, for they went very 
reverently in days gone by, when the flesh was 
not so weak as now ; and they kept their Order 
very strictly, and loved and obeyed the rules. 
They also readily kept up the good old custom 
of communicating every fortnight. Their great 
sanctity and perfection were sufficient; for in 
those days things were better than now, and 
less harmful to the fallen nature to be found in 
young people, whose inclinations are stronger 
now than they were then. Therefore much 
more help is needed now than then; and with- 
out great self-restraint it is impossible to endure 
in the highest state. Now everything sinks 
down to the level of animal pleasures, and the 
desires of the senses. Therefore, dear sisters, I 
require of you no great perfection and sanctity, 
only that ye should feel joy in and love for 
our Holy Order, and that ye should intend to 
keep the rules as far as ye can, and that ye 
should willingly keep silence in all places where 
it is ordained—at table and in the choir, and that 
ye should withdraw yourselves willingly from 
all human intimacies that estrange you from 
God. The old are impelled to do so by 
holiness, and the young by modesty. For if 
ye do this devoutly, God will reveal Himself 
to you, while ye flee from all the causes that 
could bring this hurt to your souls. Learn, 
that intolerable sufferings have fallen upon some 
convents ; and, if they had not exercised them- 
selves very diligently in this discipline, they 


180 THE INNER WAY 


might have been brought to nought. If ye 
experience no sweetness, do not let this terrify 
you. If man does his part, and yet feels forsaken 
in his heart, it is far better for him, than any 
feelings or experiences would be that he could 
have. This bitter grief brings him nearer to 
the Source of Living Truth than any feelings. 
Our Lord said: “My God, my God, why 
hast Thou forsaken Me?’’! and on Mount 
Olivet: ‘‘ Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” 2? — 
Children, fear not, for our Lord says: ‘‘Ifany — 
man will come after Me . . . let him take up © 
his Cross and follow Me.’’ ? This Cross signifies 
the crucified Jesus, Who ought to be and must 
be born. St Paul says: ‘¢ They that are Christ’s 
have crucified the flesh with all its lusts.” 4 
These lusts must be tamed and restrained. 
The second power is the power of anger, 
which man should be able to control in all things. 
He should always think that another is more 
likely to be right than he, and thus avoid strife. — 
He must learn forbearance, and how to be quiet 
and kindly wherever he may be. One man may 
be sitting alone, or in an assembly, while others — 
are sitting there, who are noisy and seldom silent. © 
Ye must learn to be forbearing and to endure, © 
and to commune with your own hearts. A man | 
cannot work at a trade without having learnt it. 
If any one wanted to be an umbrella-maker, and ~ 
would not learn his trade, he might do great © 
harm to the work if he tried to carry it on before 


1 Matt. xxvii. 46. 2 Matt. xxvii. 39. 
3 Matt. xvi. 24. 4 Gal. iv. 24. 


THE HOLY CROSS 181 


he had learned it ; thus it is in all adversities, we 
must learn how to struggle. 

The two other powers, by which this noble 
Cross must be borne, are not so evident ; they 
are the powers of reason, and of inwardly 
spiritual desires. ‘Thus, in short, Christ must 
be born in us and of us, in the inner and outer 
man; and thus we shall be born again in Him, 
in the Fruit of His Spirit. As it is written: 
“Ye must be as new-born babes.”’ Dear 
children, if ye live thus, every day will be con- 
secrated ; and all your sins will be forgiven you 
in this birth of the Holy Cross. Amen. 


SERMON XXI 
On THE Exattration oF THE Hoty Cross 
Tue Seconp SERMON 


How Christ draws all things unto Himself; how 
He prepares man according to his powers, both out- 
wardly and inwardly, by many changes and chances, 
that he may come at last with his whole heart to the 
secret place of the Divine Abyss ; and how some men 
scarcely succeed in understanding how they can follow 
this drawing. 

Ego si exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia 
ad me traham. 


“ A ND I, if I be lifted up from the earth, 
will draw all things unto Myself.” ! 

To-day we celebrate the Exaltation of the 

Holy Cross, whose worth it is impossible to 


1 John xii, 32. 


182 THE INNER WAY 


describe, and to which all the honour that. we 
can conceive is due, because we give it to Him, 
Who died thereon. Therefore religious people 
take up the Cross, and begin to fast according © 
to their rule; and this is a thing worth doing by — 
all. who have it in their power. 

Now, we are told how a Christian king once 
took the Holy Cross to a Pagan king, with all 
the honour and dignity that his dominions could 
produce, in accordance with his rank, though 
not in accordance with the honour due to the 
Holy Cross ; and he wanted to go to Jerusalem. 
When he arrived before the gates, they closed 
themselves by means of a strong, thick wall; 
and an Angel, who was standing on the wall, 
said: “Thou comest here with the Cross, 
riding in great pomp; and yet He, Who died 
thereon, was driven forth in great sorrow and ~ 
shame, barefoot, and carrying the Cross on His 
back.”? Then the king threw himself from his 
horse, tore off all his clothes, save his shirt, and 
bore the Holy Cross on his back. ‘Then the 
gates opened of themselves, and he bore it into 
the city, where many wonderful signs were done, 
on the sick, the lame and the blind. 

Our Lord said: “I, if I be lifted up... 
will draw all things unto Me.” 1 As St Gregory — 
says: ‘ Man is all things, for he has a likeness 
with all things.’”” Many men may be found, — 
who find the Cross, and are drawn to it by 
manifold sufferings and much discipline, that 
God may thus draw them to Himself; but this 


1 John xii. 32. 


THE HOLY CROSS 183 


suffering, must be lifted up; as we to-day 
celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, so 
it must not only be found but also lifted up. _ If 
man would only examine himself, and commune 
with his own heart, he would find the Cross 
twenty times a day in many a painful suggestion 
and fall, whereby, were he alone, he would be 
crucified ; but he does not lift it up, and thus he 
wrongs it. All the burdens of the Cross should 
be lifted up in God, and willingly accepted by 
man as his Cross, both without and within, in 
the body and in the spirit. Thus man should 
be drawn to God, Who desires to draw all things 
unto Himself, as He said when He was about to 
be lifted up. 

Now, men may be found, who outwardly bear 
this Cross, disciplining themselves well externally, 
and bearing the burden of their Order. They 
sing, they read, they go to the choir, or to the 
refectory ; and thus, with the outer man, carry 
on small services for our Lord. Do ye imagine 
that ye were created and made for that only by 
God? He desires also to have you for His 
especial Friends. Now such men bear the Cross 
externally, but they carefully protect themselves 
from its entrance into themselves, and seek dis- 
traction wherever they can. They do not carry 
the Cross with our Lord, but with Simon Rufus 
who was compelled to carry it. But even bear- 
ing it thus is very good; for it protects them 
indeed from many vices and from levity, and 
it saves them from the terrible fires of purgatory, 
and possibly from an eternity in hell. 


184. THE INNER WAY 


Now, our dear Lord says that He “ will draw 
all things unto Himself.”” He who desires to 


draw things, must first collect them and then 


draw them. This our Lord does also; He first — 


gathers up all man’s wanderings, the dissipation 
of his senses, his powers, his words and works, 
and inwardly, all his thoughts and intentions, his 
imaginations, his desires and pleasures and his 
understanding. Then, when all are collected, 


God draws the man to Himself. For, first of — 


all ye must cast off all to which ye cling ex- 
ternally and internally in your gratifications. 
This casting off is a weary Cross, and the 
heavier and stronger the clinging is, the heavier 
the Cross will also be. For all the pleasure and 
delight that ye have in the creature, however holy 
and divine it may appear to be, or is called, or as 
it may seem to thee—all must be cast off, if thou 
desirest to be truly lifted up and drawn to God. 
This is the first and lowest grade in the outer man. 

If ye desire to raise the Cross in the inner man, 
it is necessary that all inner delights should be 
withdrawn from him, all clinging to spiritual 
pleasures, and even from those which arise out 
of virtue. The Schoolmen dispute as to whether 
man should make use of any virtue; it ought 
to be used fruitfully and only in God’s service. 
These things cannot, indeed,exist without pleasure ; 
but it should be without any addition of self. 
What do ye imagine that pleasure and satisfaction 
consist off That a man willingly fasts, watches, 
prays and carries out the rules of his Order? This 
pleasure our Lord would have nothing to do with ; 


THE HOLY CROSS 185 


He desired that I should act rightly towards my 
Order. Why do ye imagine that God seldom 
allows a day or a night to pass by like that 
which preceded it, and that what helped you 
in meditation yesterday, does not help you at 
all to-day or to-morrow, and that many imagina- 
tions and ideas come to you with no results? 
Take thy Cross from God and suffer, and then 
it will become a blissful Cross. How couldest 
thou otherwise carry it to God, and receive it 
from Him in true resignation, and thank God 
for it, and say with our dear Lady: ‘My soul 
doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath 
rejoiced in God my Saviour ;””! for thou must 
thus praise and glorify God in every thing. 

Man must always have a Cross ; it was necessary 
that Christ should suffer before He entered into 
His Glory. Whatever thou mayest encounter in 
thy inmost heart, either in seeing or tasting, let 
it alone, do not meddle with it, ask not what it 
is, but fall back upon thy nothingness. Our 
Lord said : *¢ If any man will come after Me, ... 
let him take up his Cross and follow Me.” ? It 
is not in comfort, but with the Cross that we 
must follow God. The Holy Apostle, St 
Andrew, said: “I welcome thee, thou much- 
to-be-desired Cross, for I have longed for thee 
with all my heart. Take me from amongst men, 
and give me again to my Master.” This must 
not take place one day and not on the next; 
but it must go on at all times, unceasingly ; 
thou must ever be examining thyself in all things. 

1 Luke i. 46, 47. 2 Matt. xvi. 24, 


186 THE INNER WAY 


Yea, though the number of thy sins/and trans- 
gressions be great; if thou fallest seventy times 
a day, yet turn and come again to God, and pass — 
on so quickly to God that thy sin will escape thy — 
memory, and when thou comest to confession 
thou wilt not be able to say what it was. This 
should not terrify thee; it did not come to pass 
for thy hurt, but to show thee thy nothingness, 
and to make thee feel contempt for thyself. Ye 
should do all calmly, and not dejectedly, if ye 
feel that,in your hearts ye are ready and prepared 
to do the Will of God. Man is not sinless, as 
our dear Lady was, therefore he must be content 
to bear all this suffering and this Cross. St Paul 
says: ‘¢ We know that to them that love God, 
all things work together unto good ;”’ ! the gloss 
adds “ and sin also.” . Hold thy peace, flee unto 
God, and look upon thy nothingness; stay at 
home, do not run at once to thy confessor. St 
Matthew followed God at once, and leaving all 
his affairs unsettled ; and, if thou findest that thou 
hast sinned, do not make thy Cross too heavy 
outwardly. Leave it to truth, and be faithful 
and at rest; for none will be condemned except 
those who wantonly turn to temporal things; while 
to those who delight in the love of God, and think 
only of Him, everything will prove a discipline. 
Yet, 1 must warn you in all faithfulness that, 
if ye willingly allow yourselves to be possessed 
by the creature, and give it place, it will most 
assuredly cause your condemnation; and, eyen 

if God gives you true repentance, though this is 
1 Rom, viii, 28, | 


THE HOLY CROSS 187 


uncertain, yet ye will have to suffer in the awful 
fires of purgatory. If ye realised it, ye might 
shrivel up in great fear and anxiety ; and if ye 
went thus to receive the Lord’s Body, ye would 
be acting just as if thou wert to take a young 
and tender child and tread it underfoot in a miry 
path. And yet this is done to the living Son 
of God, Who, out of love, has given Himself 
for us. Thus ye go to confession, and do not 
guard yourselves against the cause of ‘your sin, 
The Pope with all his Cardinals could not absolve 
you; for yours is no true repentance, and ye are 
guilty of the Holy Body of our Lord. 

Our Lord said: “If any man will come after 
Me, let him deny himself and take up his Cross 
and follow Me.””! This self-denial and this Cross 
are held before many a Friend of God, who is 
driven towards it, so that we cannot say how a 
man ought to forget himself and deny himself in 
all the circumstances that may arise. That which 
costs nothing is worthless. ‘He who soweth 
sparingly, shall also reap sparingly ”’ ? and ‘ with 
what measure you mete, it shall be measured to 
you again,” * but no one should think of this, 
but solely of God. What will become of all 
those of whom ye might be told, who will not 
leave their old ways and customs, but who cleave 
externally to that which is real to their senses? 
Thou must forsake thyself and die utterly to 
thyself. He said: “Follow thou Me.” The 
servant does not go before his master; he 
follows after him. Not according to the 
1 Matt, xvi. 24. 22 Cor, ix, 6, 3 Matt. vii. 2, 


188 THE INNER WAY 


servant’s will, but according to the will of the 
master. No other teaching is necessary for us, 
if we only take heed how little, in this world, 
servants can follow their own will; but how 
they must use all their diligence and all their 
strength in carrying out in all ways their 
master’s will and service. A grain of wheat 
must die before it can bring forth fruit, and so 
must thou also die absolutely to thy own will. 
Man ought therefore to give up himself and his 
own will entirely to God; and, when he thus 
gives himself from his heart to God, he ought to 
be as though he possessed no will. A virgin 
stood in the choir and sang: and said: ‘ Lord, 
this time is mine and Thine, but, if I commune 
with my own heart, my time is Thine not mine.”’ 

If man is to give himself to God, he must 
first of all give up his own will entirely, for man 
is just as though he were formed of three men: 
his animal nature, in which he is guided by his 
senses; his powers of reason; and his highest 
nature, which is in the Image and Likeness of 
God. In his highest and innermost nature man 
should turn and lie down in the fire of the 
Divine Abyss, and come out of himself, and allow 
himself to be taken prisoner. He should sup- 
press and pass over the two lowest ways and 
natures, as St Bernard says: * Man must draw 
away his animal nature, with the lusts of the 
flesh, from all the things that he possessed with 
delight.”” Ye know what a hard Cross that is, 
and how heavy it is! And he says, that it 
is no less hard for the outer man to enter into 


q 
| 
: 


THE HOLY CROSS 189 


the inner man, and to pass, from things that are 
figurative and visible, to the invisible, that is to 
their very Source, as St Augustine understands 
it. All the attacks and the crosses, that, coming 
to the two lower natures of man, seem to him 
as though they would draw him away and 
hinder him from entering, should be taken up 
by him as his Cross, while he commends all to 
God. Whether they come from the senses or 
from reason, he should leave them all alone, and 
commend them to the lower powers. And he 
should raise himself above them in the highest 
power with all his might; just as Abraham left 
the ass and the servant below, when he went up 
the mountain to offer his sacrifice unto God; 
he went up alone with his son into the mountain. 
Therefore, leave your animal nature which is 
indeed an ass, and your servant, which is natural 
reason, which is here surely a servant, for it has 
served, and guide man up the ascent of this 
mountain ; for there he must stay. Leave the 
two below, and go up alone with the son, that is 
with thy mind, into the secret place, the Holy 
of Holies. Offer up thy sacrifice, and especially 
offer up thyself, and enter in, and hide there thy 
secret mind in the mystery of the Divine Abyss. 
As the prophet said in the Psalter : “ Lord, Thou 
shalt hide them in the secret of Thy Face.”’! In 
that secret place the created spirit is brought 
back again to its uncreatedness, where it had 
been from everlasting before it was created, and 
where it recognises itself as God in God, and 


1 Ps, xxx. 21. 


7 
190 THE INNER WAY 


yet in itself as of the creature, and created. 
But in God all things are God, who rest on this 
foundation. Proclus says: “When man once 
enters here, whatever may befall the outer man, 
sorrow, poverty or whatever it may be, he heeds 
it not.”” As the Prophet says: “ Thou shalt 
hide them . . . from the disturbance of men.”’ ! 
These follow our Lord, as our Lord says else- 
where: “I am in the Father, and He is in 
Me, and I in you and ye in Me.”? That we 
may be drawn with all our hearts, as He desired 
to draw all things after Him, and that we may 
thus inherit the Cross, that by the Holy Cross 
we may enter into the true Source, may God 
help us. Amen. 


SERMON XXII 
On rue Exarraton or THE Hoty Cross 


Tue THirp SERMON 


Describes a Cross of Spiritual Suffering formed by 
four virtues. Divine Love is the upper part, Patient 
Love is on the left side, Inner Purity is on the right, 
and Willing Obedience forms the lower part. Also 
much good advice and many instructions for those 
who look upon themselves as sick and guilty sinners ; 
for the Cross must be borne. 


Quasi cedrus exaltata sum in Libano, et quasi 
cypressus in monte Sion. 
“T WAS exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and 
as a cypress-tree on Mount Sion.” 2 
We celebrate to-day the Exaltation of the 


Psalm xxx. 21. 2 Ecclus. xxiv. 14. 


THE HOLY CROSS 191 


Holy Cross; but it is impossible to say how it 
was raised up; neither can we fully describe or 
imagine its value. We can say of it that which 
we find written in the Book of Ecclesiasticus : 
*T was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and 
as a cypress-tree on Mount Sion.” 

Frankincense grows on Mount Lebanon; it 
signifies a spiritual sacrifice, for it should at all 
times be the desire of our hearts to be a peculiar 
sacrifice unto God. The smoke of the cedar- 
tree drives away all the poison of the serpent. 
Still more the poison of the Devil and all his 
wicked cunning is chased away by the power of 
- the Holy Cross; that is by the bitter Sorrow and 
sharp Suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ; for 
He says of Himself: “I was exalted like a 
cypress-tree on Mount Sion.” The cypress is 
of such a nature, that if a man partakes of the 
wood, when unable to retain his food, it enables 
him to retain it. In the same way, the man 
who draws unto himself the Lord’s Holy Cross, 
and embraces it, namely, His painful and bitter 
Suffering, will be enabled to retain that most 
precious and noble Food, the Holy Word of God. 
The holy Saints and Prophets have said that 
the Word of God only becomes fruitful in those 
men, who at all times draw it earnestly and 
diligently unto themselves, that all things may 
become fruitful unto them. The precious Suffer- 
ings of our Lord have also a sweet scent, tasting 
sweeter than any sweetness ; for they draw man’s 
heart to Him; as our Lord Himself has said: 
“ And I, if I be lifted up . . . will draw all things 


192 THE INNER WAY 


to Myself.””! It is indeed true, that the man in 
whom the bitter Suffering of our Lord is always 
found, will at all times be drawn unto our Lord, 
in true humility, and patience, and with fervent 
and Divine Love. For in the same way that 
Christ suffered willingly, so must we also at all 
times, as far as lies in our power, follow after 
Him earnestly, in patience and suffering, that we 
may always be imprisoned, bound and condemned 
with Him in spirit. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, before He was nailed 
to the Holy Cross, was bereft of all His garments, 
so that not a thread was left on His Body; and 
lots were cast for His garments before His eyes. 
Now, know of a truth, that if thou desirest ever 
to come to true perfection, thou must be destitute 
of all that is not of God, so that thou hast not a 
thread left; and thou must see lots cast for thy 
things before thine eyes; while other men look 
upon it all, and esteem it as mockery, folly and 
heresy. Our Lord said: “If any man will 
come after Me, let him . . . take up his Cross, 
and follow Me.’’? As he said also to the young — 
man: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou — 
hast, and give to the poor... and come, — 
follow Me.”’? For it is written in the Apoca- 
lypse that great and unutterable plagues must 
come, which will be scarcely less terrible than 
the Judgment Day; though that will not come 
yet, for we are still living in historic time, days, — 
years and hours. And when these plagues, — 


1 John xii. 32. 2 Matt. xvi. 24. 
3 Matt. xix. 21. 


THE HOLY CROSS _ 193 


which are prophesied, come upon us, those only 
will recover who bear the Cross. And because 
this was true, God gave the Angel leave to hurt 
and to destroy all that was upon the earth. 
Then God said to the Angel: “ Thou shalt 
spare none, save those who have the banner, 
the mark, the sign on their foreheads,”’ signify- 
ing the Holy Cross. Every man who has not 
the Cross of Jesus Christ in him and before him, 
undoubtedly, will not be spared. By the Cross 
we understand pain. God did not tell the Angel 
to spare men with great powers, nor the seers, 
nor those who worked in ther own way, but 
only the suffering. He did not say: “He, 
who will follow Me, or come after Me, must 
follow Me, gazing at Me,”’ but he said, * by 
leaving all and suffering.”’ 

Now I wish to say a few words about the 
Cross. Know, then, that every man who takes 
up the Cross will be made thereby the very best 
man to be found in these days; and no plagues 
can harm him. Neither can he ever enter into 
purgatory. But also there is no greater pain 
than daily and hourly carrying a Cross on our 
backs for the sake of God, in humble resignation. 
It is, alas! no longer the fashion to suffer for the 
sake of God, and to bear the Cross for Him; for 
the diligence and real earnestness, that perchance 
were found in man, have been extinguished and 
have grown cold; and now no one is willing any 
longer to suffer distress for the sake of God. 
Could we find out any way in which no one 
would have to suffer, that is what we should 


N 


194 THE INNER WAY 


choose for our life. Alas! one and all think 
only of self, in all their works and ways. 

It is not outward exercises, such as fasting, 
watching, lying on hard beds, and making long 
pilgrimages, that please God. All these things 
serve thereto; fasting, watching, prayer, and all 
the other things already mentioned ; therefore, 
do all these things, as far as they will help thee 
to take up thy Cross truly. No one is too old, 
too ill and too deaf to take up the Cross, and to 
carry it after our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Learn that the Holy Cross is made of four 
pieces of wood, one above, one below, and two 
in the middle. The upper part is divine, fervent 
love. The left arm, which is deep humility, is 
nailed on with the heedlessness of men, and all 
the things that may befall him then; it is more 
than scorn, for in that there is a tinge of pride ; 
the other arm of the Cross must be real, true, 
inner purity, this must be nailed to the Cross with 
a willing lack of all, whatever it may be, that 
could defile its purity, either outwardly or 
inwardly. The feet signify true and perfect 
obedience; they are nailed on with true and 
willing resignation of all that thou and thine 
possess. Whatever it may be that thou possessest, 
leave all at once for the sake of God, however 
hard it may be, that thou mayest not possess thy- 
self in any way, either in deed or in word. ‘The 
four parts of the Cross were fastened together 
in the middle with fiat voluntas tua, which 
means that the pieces of wood were fitted into 
each other, signifying the true and perfect re- 


THE HOLY CROSS 195 


nunciation of thy free will, and a yielding up of 
all for the sake of God. 

Now notice, first, the left hand, which signifies 
humility. By this we must understand, as St 
Augustine says, that the man who walks in true 
humility will most certainly have to suffer. 
Know, that man must be brought to nought in 
his own esteem, and in the eyes of all men. He 
must also be raised up, bare, and having no resting- 
place, and lots must be cast before his eyes for 
all that he has or is; as was done with the 
garments of our Lord Jesus Christ ; that is, thou 
must be mocked, destroyed.and spurned. Thy 
life also must be regarded as unworthy of notice, 
as folly, so that those who are with thee or pass 
thee by, will scorn and condemn thee, will 
estimate and judge thy life before thy face, as 
full of error and. heresy; and hate thee and all 
thy works and ways. Now, when thou knowest 
and seest all this, thou must neither reject it, nor 
receive it unthankfully, so that thou speakest evil, 
or shouldest say of it: ‘Such a man as he is 
unfair to me.”’ Dear friend, guard thyself both 
outwardly and inwardly against such opposition. 
Thou oughtest to think: ‘* Alas! I, poor man, 
am unworthy that such a noble man should scorn 
and ignore me;”’ and then thou shouldest bow 
to it and look upon it as nothing. Thus thou 
wilt be bearing the Cross with our Lord. The 
right hand is true purity; it is nailed on with a 
willing lack of all things that are not of God, 
and that could stain that purity. The feet are 
true obedience, and signify that man should be 


196 THE INNER WAY 


obedient to his Superiors and the Holy Church. 
They are nailed on with true resignation, so that 
man will willingly in all things resign himself to 
the Will of God. The middle part is the free 
going out and giving up of thy will to the Will of 
God; which means, however great the suffering 
may be which is laid upon thee by God or man, 
thou wilt yet willingly suffer all for love of God, 
and rejoice, and bend willingly to the Cross of 
suffering, whether guilty or innocent. Now, thou 
mightest say : ** Lord, J cannot do it, I am too 
weak.’’ Learn then, that thou hast two wills, 
an upper and a lower will, as Christ also had two 
wills. The natural and lower will desires at all 
times to be freed from the Cross ; but the higher 
says with Christ: ‘‘ Not as I will but as Thou 
wilt in all things.”” The top of the Cross is the 
Love of God ; it has no resting-place, for at all 
times it is a pure, bare going forth, forsaken of 
God and all creatures, so that thou canst truly 
say with Christ: ** My God, My God, why hast 
Thou forsaken Me?”’! The Sacred Head of our 
Lord Jesus Christ had no resting-place ; if a man 
experienced Divine Love and a sweet conscious- 
ness of God’s Presence in his absolute resignation, 
what would it matter to him though the whole 
world were against him? 

A good and holy man asked our Lord why 
He allowed His dear Friends to suffer so terribly. 
Then our Lord said: “Man is naturally in- 


clined to the pleasures of the senses and harmful — 


delights ; therefore 1 hedge him in, in all his 
1 Matt, xxvii. 46. 


THE HOLY CROSS 197 


ways, so that I alone may be his delight.”” The 
Head of Divine, sweet Love hung inclined on 
the stem of the Holy Cross. Learn, children, 
it cannot be otherwise ; though we try to turn it 
as we may, we must always bear a Cross, if we 
desire to be good men and to come to Eternal 
Life. We must suffer sharply and keenly, and 
bear a Cross of some kind, for, if we flee from 
one, another will fall upon us. No man has 
ever been born, who was such a good talker that 
he could prove that this was not true. Thou 
canst flee where thou wilt, and do what thou 
wilt, yet it must be borne. God may take it 
on His shoulder for a little while, and bear the 
burden over the most difficult places; and then 
man feels so light and free, that he cannot believe 
that he ever had anything to suffer, especially 
because he feels no suffering; but, as soon as 
God lays down the burden, the burden of suffer- 
ing rests heavily on him again, in all its bitterness 
and insupportability. ‘The Eternal Son of God, 
Jesus Christ, has borne all this before, in the 
heaviest way possible; and all those who have 
been His dearest Friends have borne it after 
Him. This Cross is the fiery chariot in which 
Elias went up to heaven. 

There was a thoughtful daughter of our Order 
who had longed much and often to see our Lord 
as a Babe. Suddenly, during her devotions, 
our Lord appeared to her as a Babe, lying 
swathed in a bed of sharp thorns, so that she 
could not get to the Babe till she had laboured 
much, and had used force, in grasping the 


198 THE INNER WAY 


thorns. When she came to herself again she 
realised that those who truly desire Him must 
boldly face pain, sharpness and suffering. . 

Some men say: ‘ Yea, and were I so pure — 
and innocent, that I had not deserved it from — 
God on account of my sins, still I would gladly 
and joyfully bear suffering for the Will of God, 
so that it might be useful and profitable to me.” 
Now, know, that a guilty and sinful man may 
suffer, in such a way, that it may be more useful ~ 
and profitable to him tham to an innocent man. 
But how? In the same way, that a man, who 
wants to make a great jump, will go back that 
he may have a good run; for the further he 
goes back, the further he will jump. Every 
man should act in this way. He must always 
look upon himself as sinful and heedless, and 
must judge of himself as unworthy in the sight 
of God and of all creatures. Thus he will be 
drawn nearer and more powerfully to God, and 
by this means he will get closer to the Eternal 
Goodness of Divine Truth. 

Children, the more thoroughly a man knows 
himself from. the bottom of his heart, truly 
despising and condemning himself, not glossing 
over his sins, but deeming himself utterly 
unworthy, the nearer will he draw to God in 
truth, and the more perfect will be his converse 
with God. 

That we may all draw this precious Cross 
of our Lord after us, in steadfast patience and 
with loving hearts, with happy countenances, 
cheerfully, joyfully and willingly suffering all 


ST MATTHEW 199 


things for God, giving up all things for Him, 
and accepting all things that are disagreeable to 
us as from the open, loving Hand of God and 
not from the creature; that we may be lifted up 
in our hearts in steadfast patience even unto the 
end, may He help us, Who for our sakes was 
lifted up upon the Cross that He might draw all 
things unto Himself. Amen. 


SERMON XXIII 


On tHe Feast or St Marruew, Apostie 
AND EVANGELIST 
Of two ways in which man may follow after God 
in true resignation. One way is in a figure; the 


other has no form; it consists of a calm, inner 
silence in a tranquil mind. 


Sequere Me. 


““TOLLOW Me.”?! Our Lord spake to St 
Matthew saying: ‘ Follow Me.”? And 

he rose up, and forsook all, and followed Him. 
This holy Matthew has become an example 
to all men; and yet he was, to begin with, a 
great sinner, as the Scripture tells us ; but after- 
wards he became one of the greatest Friends of 
God ; for, when our Lord spake secretly to him 
in his heart, he left all things and followed Him. 
Everything depends upon man’s following God 
in truth; and this involves an absolute forsaking 
of all things, whatever they may be, which have 
taken possession of man’s heart, and which are 


1 Matt. ix. 9. 


200 THE INNER WAY 


not of God. For God isa Lover of hearts, and 
communes not with anything that is external. 
He desires an inner, living love, which is ever 
ready to turn to all things that are divine and — 
virtuous, where and in whomsoever they may — 
be found; for there is more truth in such an 
one than in a man who prays as much as all the 
rest of the world, and sings so lustily that his 
song reaches to heaven; or in anything that he 
can do by fasting, watching, or anything else 
externally. : 

Now our Lord said: ‘ Follow Me.” ‘There 
are six ways in which men can follow our Lord; 
three are in our lower, and three in our higher 
powers. Inthe lower there are humility, gentle- 
ness and patience. The other three are higher 
than all other powers ; they are faith, hope and 
love. Our Lord said: “Follow.” This 
following, in one way, is to be, after the ex- 
ample of our Lord, in praise and thanksgiving ; 
while sometimes it comes to pass in a still 
closer way; that is, without any conditions of 
thought or of anything else, but only in an 
inner silence, in a mind that communes with 
itself, simply waiting on God, that He may 
work in it as it pleases Him. 

It is easy to find men who get on well with 
their outward exercises. They glide through 
them, whether these be fasting, watching, prayer 
or anything else ; and they take so much delight 
in them, that God has a very small part in them. 
The pleasure sometimes seems to be so great that 
God is not there at all, and has turned away ; 


ST MATTHEW 201 


which means, that such men do their work as of 
themselves, adding thereto, and finding pleasure 
therein; though all good is of God, and not a 
shred belongs to man. 

Now, we might ask: ‘‘ How can we separate 
pleasure from that which is good?”’ Let us 
take an example. In the Old Testament, the 
priests. were forbidden to eat the fat of the 
sacrifices; they were to burn it and offer all 
to God. But they might eat the fat of the 
flesh which was their allotted portion. Thus 
all the delight that we have in all the exercise 
of virtue and in works must be cast into the 
fire of love, from whence it proceeds. But the 
natural pleasure or satisfaction which clings to 
natural actions, in as far as they are good, may 
be engaged by man in a simple way, if he does 
not add thereto. 

Now, we must notice in these meni 
“ Follow Me,” that St Matthew left all things 
and followed God. Man, when he leaves all 
things and himself in all things, must» follow 
God more than all; in the outer man, in all 
exercises of virtue, in universal love; and, in 
the inner man, by real resignation of himself 
in all ways, both outwardly and inwardly. 
Now, understand that when I speak of myself, 
I am speaking of all men. By God’s Grace 
and from Holy Christendom, | have received 
both my order and my cowl, this habit and my 
priesthood, that I might become a teacher and 
hear confessions. Now, if it came to pass that 
the Pope and also the Holy. Church, from 


202 THE INNER WAY 


whom I have received them, wished to take 
them all away from me, if I were a temperate 
man, I should let them go, and I should not 
ask why they did so. If I might, I should put 
on a gray garb, and I should not remain any 
longer in the monastery with the brethren, nor 
be a priest and hear confessions and preach. I 
should also say that in God’s name all was at an 
end ; for they gave all to me, and may therefore 
take all from me. Why, it would not be for 
me to ask. Why? because I do not wish to 
be called a heretic, or to be excommunicated ; 
and thus I should be truly resigned. But if any 
one else wanted to take these things from me, 
I would rather die than allow them to be taken 
from me. 

Again, if the Holy Church were to refuse us 
the Holy Sacrament externally, we must submit ; 
but in.a spiritual sense no one can take it from 
us.. We must be ready to give up all without 
murmuring or answering again; but all this is 
external. Thus it ought to be, and even still 
more so in things that are within. What have 
we that was not given tous by God? There- 
fore, all that He gave us must be given to Him 
again ; we must give up all in true resignation, as 
though we had never obtained it. 

You, dear children, who occupy yourselves 
with sacred pictures, holy thoughts, and works 
and ways, are not referred to here. Iam not 
speaking to you; ye need not take this address 
to yourselves. But I mean those especially who 
have to go along the dark road, and to pass 


ST MATTHEW 2.03 


through the narrow way, which is not the road 
for all men. These men must take a very 
different road from those of whom we have 
just spoken; and we will now speak of them ; 
of what things they must have, and how some 
things are to be done and others left undone. 
Man should have all these things in his powers, 
without anything of self and beyond all powers ; 
and he must possess them without any qualifica- 
tions. Now, it is according to man’s nature to 
desire to have, to know and to will. These are 
all the works of men’s powers. Now, there are 
six things of which we must now take note. 
There are three in the lower, and three in the 
higher powers. In the lower are humility, gentle- 
ness and patience, which answer to these three. 
Humility sinks at once and for ever into an 
abyss, and loses its name and rests in absolute 
nothingness, and knows nothing but humility. 
Gentleness has robbed love of the qualification 
of will; so that all things are alike, nothing is 
antagonistic ; therefore there is no consciousness 
of any virtue, and all things are possessed in an 
even peace; virtue has lost its name and has 
become simply a condition. So also is it with 
patience. ‘These men love and thirst after suffer- 
ing and know nothing of patience. 

Now, after all this resignation, it may happen 
that a hard word is spoken to thee; but do not 
let it affright thee; God has decreed it for thy 
good, that thou mayest sink yet deeper into thy 
nothingness. Then anger arises, and points to 
still greater renunciation, and shows thee thy 


204 THE INNER WAY 


nothingness, that thou mayest even think thyself 
unworthy that God should implant in thee one 
good thought. Everything depends upon this; 
a fathomless sinking in a fathomless nothingness. 
The doings of these men do not depend upon 
external works, or customs, or pictures; but, if 
they do well, their existence will be blessed 
beyond all measure ; but in its way it is as full 
of care as that of the most savage men on earth. 
For this way is a dark way; and, as I said of 
Job: ‘*A man whose way is hidden, and God 
hath surrounded him with darkness.”?! Man 
must bear all the reproaches heaped upon him 
on this rough road, in a self-denying way ; even 
all the reproaches that can be imagined. Our 
Lord says everywhere: ‘ Follow Me, go through 
all things. I am He; go not further; follow 
Me.”’ Ifa man were to say: ‘ Lord, who art 
Thou, that I must follow Thee through such 
deep, gloomy, miserable paths?’’ The Lord 
would reply, ‘I am God and Man, and far 
more God.’’ If a man could answer then, 
really and consciously from the bottom of his 
heart: ‘Then I am nothing, and less than 
nothing ;”’ all would be accomplished ; for the 
Godhead has really no place to work in, but 
ground where all has been annihilated. As the 
Schoolmen say, when a new form is to come 
into existence, the old must of necessity be 
destroyed. They say : ‘‘ When a child is con- 
ceived in the mother’s womb, it is at first simply 
matter; later it takes an animal form ; it lives 
1 Job iii. 23. 


ST MATTHEW 205 


as an animal; and then, at the appointed time, 
God creates a reasoning soul and casts it into the 
matter.”” Then the first form disappears in blessed- 
ness; that which is created, form, size and colour 
must all disappear, so that nothing is left save 
simple matter. And so I say: “ If man is to 
be thus clothed upon with this being; all the 
forms must of necessity be done away, that were 
ever received by him in all his powers—of per- 
ception, knowledge, will, work, of subjection, 
sensibility and self-seeking.”” When St Paul saw 
nothing, he saw God. So also, when Elias 
wrapped his face in his mantle, God came. 
All strong rocks are broken here; all on 
which the spirit can rest must be done away. 
Then, when all forms have ceased to exist, in 
the twinkling of an eye, the man is transformed. 
Therefore thou must make an entrance. There- 
upon speaks the Heavenly Father to him: “ Thou 
shalt call Me Father, and shalt never cease to enter 
in; entering ever further in, ever nearer, so as to 
sink the deeper in an unknown and unnamed abyss ; 
and, above all ways, images and forms, and above 
all powers, to lose thyself, deny thyself and even 
unform thyself.” In this lost condition, nothing 
is to be seen but a ground which rests upon itself, 
everywhere one being, one life. It is thus, man 
may say, that he becomes, unknowing, unloving 
and senseless. This is not the result of natural 
qualities, but of the transformation, wrought by 
the Spirit of God in the created spirit, in the 
fathomless lost condition of the created spirit, and 
in his fathomless resignation. We may say of 


206 THE INNER WAY 


this, that God knows, loves and gives Himself 
thus; for man is nothing but a life, a being and 
action. ‘Those who see in this way, with un- 
due liberty and with false light, are in the most 
perilous state in which it is possible to be in this 
life. 

The way by which we must arrive at the 
goal, is through the precious Life and Sufferings 
of our dear Lord ; for He is the Way by which 
we must go, and He is the Truth which lightens 
all in this way. He is the Life and the End 
to which men must come; and He is the Door; 
and whosoever entereth in by another door is a 
murderer. We must enter by this Door, by 
breaking through nature, and by the exercise of 
virtue and humility, in meekness and patience. 
Know of a truth that he who entereth not in by 
this way goeth astray, and God goes before him 
and in him, and yet he remains blind. But 
none have power over those who enter by this 
way; for God Himself hath set them free. St 
Paul says, that those who are driven or led by 
the Spirit are under no law. Time is never too 
long for such men; nothing troubles them. It 
can never be said of any of the lovers of this 
world, that nothing troubles them, and that time 
is never too long. But they, who are in this 
world, but whose higher life is above, are freed 
from all things and patient in their lower life. 
Whatever comes, theirs is an essential peace. 
They take all things from God, and desire to 
lay all things again on Him; and thus they rest 
in peace. Still in the outer man they may have 


ST MICHAEL _— 207 


to suffer terribly and may be much troubled. 
But wherever they are, they are blessed; and 
we ought to praise them; but I fear they are 
rather sparsely sown. God help us that we may 
be like them. Amen. 


SERMON XXIV 


On tHe Feast or St MicHart anp 
ALL ANGELS 

On the various and especial works of the nine 
choirs of Holy Angels in man, in his threefold state 
and being; that is in the outer man, his powers of 
reason, and in his being, formed in the Image of God. 
How, by their care and supervision, he may be 
enabled to attain to the very highest degree of Per- 
fection in a spiritual life. 


Angeli eorum semper vident faciem Patris met, qui 
in coelis est 


"THEIR angels always see the Face of My 
Father Who is in heaven.” ! 

To-day is the Feast of St Michael and all 
Angels. We have already read to-day how 
this festival first arose, in consequence of the 
revelation on the mountain ; therefore we will not 
refer to that now. The Gospel says: “ Their 
Angels do always behold the Face of My Father 
Who is in heaven.” ! I know not with what 
words I can, or ought, to speak of these pure 
spirits, for they have neither hands nor feet, neither 
image, nor form, nor substance; neither can we 


1 Matt. xviii. 10. 


208 THE INNER WAY 


understand the nature of their being; so how 
can we speak of them? We know not what 
they are; and that is not surprising, for we do 
not know ourselves, nor our souls by which we 
are made men, and from which we receive all 
that is good in us. How then can we under- 
stand these transcendent spirits, whose nobility 
far surpasses all the nobility that the world can 
show? Therefore let us discuss their behaviour 
towards us, and not the nature of their being. 
Their work is always to behold us, and to look 
upon us in the mirror of the Godhead regularly, 
effectually and truly, with discrimination ; and 
they have a special and definite work to do in 
us; but God works unceasingly in us, much 
more truly and nobly ; and they work with God 
in us, in the same way that the sun exercises 
a constant influence over the earth, while the 
stars co-operate with the sun in that influence 
on the earth, and on every creature in it. The 
stars always look at the sun and reflect his rays, 
while the sun turns his face to them; and thus 
their works become indivisible ; so that, were it 
possible for the least star to be removed from 
the heavens, all creatures, men and cattle would 
be destroyed. 

Now, there are nine choirs of Angels, forming 
three hierarchies, in each of which there are 
three choirs. Now, these three hierarchies have 
each their own peculiar and different effect on 
the three parts of man. ‘The first is the outer 
man, the second is his reason, and the third is 
his likeness to God: and yet all these three 


ST MICHAEL 209 


form one man. In all three the Angels have 
their work to do. And, besides this, every 
man has an Angel, who at his baptism was 
especially appointed to watch over him, into 
whose care he was committed, who stands by 
him, and helps him unceasingly, guarding him 
when sleeping and waking, in all places and in 
all his works and ways, whether evil or good. 
Were there nothing else for which we ought to 
love God dearly, and thank Him, surely this 
would be enough; that God has so closely 
united these exalted and invisible beings with 
us, that they may discipline us unceasingly. 
But, on the other hand, every man has also to 
deal with a peculiarly wicked angel, the Devil, 
who works against him unceasingly, and tries 
him as constantly as the good Angel. If we 
were wise and industrious, the Devil’s opposition 
and his discipline would be more useful to us 
than those of the good Angels; for, were there 
no conflict, there could be no victory. 

Now we must speak of the hierarchies. 
The lowest of the hierarchies are called Angels ; 
one with another they serve the outer man; 
they exhort and warn him, they help him and 
guide him towards that which is good; they 
watch over him with steady and constant dis- 
cipline. If they did not thus watch over us, 
what innumerable evils do ye imagine, might 
not befall us? for numberless devils follow us 
perpetually, desiring to destroy us, either sleeping 
or waking. But these noble Angels anticipate 
them and prevent them. 


oO 


210 THE INNER WAY 


The Archangels form the second choir. They 
are represented as priests, whose active employ- 
ment is to serve at the Holy Sacrament; they 
thus serve, counsel, and help man in the efficacious — 
reception of the Holy Sacrament of our Lord’s | 
Body . 

The third choir consists of Virtues. They — 
serve, counsel and admonish us to seek after 
natural and moral virtues, and they win for us 
the divine virtues of faith, hope and love. The 
men who follow them and commune much with 
them, are so virtuous that virtue becomes as 
easy and pleasant to them, as though it were 
part of their very nature and being. All the 
enemies, who have fallen from this choir, set 
themselves with all imaginable cunning against 
these men, desiring to entice them away, so that 
they may not reach that place, from which they 
themselves have been cast out. The stratagems 
to which they constantly have recourse, are 
incredible. Man ought to be very diligent in 
keeping guard against the hostile wickedness, 
which so marvellously surrounds him; for these 
enemies often make use of much secret dexterity in 
things which seem good ; and, for the most part, 
they strive to lead men into all kinds of diversions ; 
and, when they find they are not succeeding, 
they place him in a position which seems good, 
that he may be content therewith, and may not 
strive to advance. Now, this is a most perilous 
condition in which to find ourselves, and now 
more than it ever was. As St Bernard says: 
«To stand still in the way of God, is to go 


ST MICHAEL 211 


backwards.’’ All are in this condition who 
have worldly and self-satisfied hearts, and who 
say, ‘‘ We do as many good works as other men, 
and we are well-pleased with ourselves; we 
shall fare better than they, and we will go on 
with our own ways and customs, as those did 
who were before us.’? But when great plagues 
come, those who imagine now that they are 
doing well will be seen to be in great misery. 
Then the wicked angels, whom they have 
followed, will wonder and lament with them, 
and finally lead them away unopposed. Cases 
such as these are taking place even now. But 
when these horrible downfalls and plagues have 
passed away, then the holy Angels will make 
themselves known to men who have been purified, 
and will walk with them and commune with 
them openly. 

Now we come to the second hierarchy. The 
Angels of which it is composed have an active 
supervision over the second division of man’s 
nature; his reasoning powers, which place him 
far above all other creatures with animal nature, 
and make him like unto the Angels. The first 
choir is called. Potestates, the second Principatus, 
and the third Dominationes, signifying the mighty, 
the princes and the rulers. All these work in 
men, who, they find, have progressed in virtue, 
so that they can control, both outwardly and in- 
wardly, their senses and the outward expression 
of them, in all things; and in the inner man, 
their thoughts and intentions. These men are 
free and reign supreme over vice. Thus, we 


212 THE INNER WAY 


read of St Francis, that he had such power over 
the outer man, that directly he thought of some 
discipline, his body sprang forward, and said, 


s‘ See, here am I.’’ Such men are truly like the © 
princes of the world, who are free and have none — 


to control them. Thus these men are enabled 
in spirit to rule over all the actions of the outer 
and inner man. When the wicked angels see 
this, they are filled with vehement hatred against 
them, because they fear that these men will take 
their places. So they exercise all their ingenuity 
to bring them into the most awful temptations 
that can be conceived, and of which those who 
serve the world and the Evil One never heard 
nor imagined. Of these ways there are many, for 
they so earnestly desire to drag down the good. 
When they become so importunate that the poor 
man imagines he must lose either his life or his 
senses, then the noble Angels come, the Prin- 
cipatus, and drive them away, and the man has 
gained the victory. When they have been thus 
overcome, they»never dare to attack the same 
man again ; for they are too proud to do it; and 
they are terrified and give way before these 
powerful people, and before those who rule over 
this hierarchy. Then the rulers, Dominationes, 
come and enable these men to become so wise 
and prudent, that they. can see through the 
stratagems of the enemy. As St Paul says, 
that neither the devil, the world, the flesh, 
nor any creature could gain a victory over 
him. 

We now come to the third hierarchy; these 


ST MICHAEL 213 


Angels work and look into the innermost part of 
man ; into that which was formed in the Image 
of God. The first choir of these is formed by 
the Thrones, the second by the Cherubim, and 
the third by the Seraphim. 

The Thrones work in the innermost heart of 
man, so that he becomes like unto a kingly throne, 
where God delights to dwell, to reign and to 
judge, to reward and to work all His works in 
him and through him. These men’s hearts are 
so irrevocably rooted in Divine Peace, that neither 
love nor sorrow, severity nor tenderness, can dis- 
turb them ; as St Paul has said: ‘‘ Neither death 
nor life.” A hundred deaths would not move 
or terrify such men. In the same way that a 
dying man cares nothing for all the honour or 
shame that could be heaped upon him, because 
his thoughts are elsewhere, so also, when a man 
in his innermost heart is turned to God, he is a 
strong ‘hrone of God, nothing can affright him, 
neither love nor sorrow, for he rests in» that 
essential peace, which is the Dwelling-place of 
God; as David says: “Jn pace factus est locus 
gus.’ Preserve and guard this peace, dear 
children, that no man take it from thee, and that 
the Dwelling-place of God may not be destroyed. 
O, dear child, preserve this, be silent, suffer, 
abstain from evil and rest in peace. Rest and 
trust and keep to thyself; do not run about too 
much ; be not agitated, preoccupied or impulsive ; 
but realise the Presence of thy Lord of Lords in 
thy heart, where He sits on His throne glorious 

1 Rom. viii. 38. 


214 THE INNER WAY 


and powerful, so that He may not be disturbed 
and His peace diminished. 

Now, when men are resting in this peace, then 
the Cherubim come in all their brightness, and 
lighten up men’s hearts with their godlike light 
as with a sudden glance. This glance pierces 
the men through and through; and their hearts 
are’so filled with light, that, were it necessary, 
they could judge all men; and yet this illumina- 
tion is but a glance; the quicker it is, the truer, 
the nobler and the surer. 

Then come the burning Seraphim, with their 
flaming love, and they kindle love in the hearts 
of men; and this, too, is done in a moment, so 
that the love of man becomes so broad and wide 
that it embraces within itself the love of all things. 
It seems to him as though he would set all men 
alight ; and all is so sudden and quick, that it 
seems to him as though he would be consumed 
himself. This flame is kindled in the innermost 
thoughts of the glorified man; and yet it lights 
up also the other two parts of man, his soul and 
the outer man. Such men become so godlike 
and so well-regulated, so truly resigned, virtuous, 
peaceful and calm, that no one is ever conscious 
of any infirmity in them, either in words or deeds ; 
and yet they look upon themselves as nothing, 
and heed all as little as if it had taken place in 
some one a thousand miles away. They look 
upon all that God may work by them, or in 
them, as apart from themselves, taking no credit 
for it; for they think of nothing but their own 
absolute nothingness, and regard themselves as 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 215 


lower than all men. ‘These verily are the 
heavens in which the Father dwells, as the 
Gospel says: ‘Their Angels always see the 
Face of My Father Who is in heaven.’?} May 


God help us all thus to attain. Amen. 


SERMON XXV 
Au. Saints’ Day 


Tue First SERMON 


A very useful exposition of the Gospel, of the eight 
Beatitudes. How we can attain to the grades or steps 
of these most blessed Virtues, and learn to know our- 
selves thereby. How we ought to honour the Saints 
and their various degrees of merit in the Eternal 
Fatherland. 


Videns Jesus turbas, ascendit in montem, et secuti 
sunt eum discipull, etc. 


- ANP seeing the multitudes Jesus went up 

; into a mountain, and when He was set 
down, His disciples came unto Him. And 
opening His mouth, he taught them saying: 
Blessed are’the poor in spirit,’ ? and thus He 
spake the eight Beatitudes. 

The mountain that Jesus went up was His 
own holiness and His Being, for He is one with 
His Father; and He was followed by a great 
company of those dear Saints whose day we are 
celebrating. ‘They have all followed Him, each 
one in his own vocation, as God has called him. 


1 Matt, xviii. 10. 2 Matt. v. 1, sg.) 


216 THE INNER WAY 


We must follow after them, endeavouring above 
all things to discover what the calling is, to which 
God has called us, and to follow it. 

Now, we must honour these Saints with all 
diligence. What is the greatest honour that we 
can do them? ‘To sink down with them in 
absolute seclusion, in that good ground in which 
they have lost themselves, and in which their 
great blessedness is to be found. ‘Therefore, 
immerse thyself with them, for thou canst not 
show them any greater honour, or do anything 
that would please them better. 

Now let us consider the company of Saints 
who followed Him up che mountain, and how 
each one was led. Now, He was first followed 
by the holy Patriarchs of the Old Covenant 
with overflowing longings; for they believed 
that He would come. They were filled by God 
with holy love and hope; and, not outwardly but 
inwardly, they were bare and empty of all that 
was not God. Their love was so great, that 
they divided all they had with the chosen people ; 
and they used all diligence, that nothing should 
be wanting whence this Birth should proceed. 
They offered themselves up entirely to. the 
service of that generation, into which He was 
to be born. We read to-day of those who 
followed Him, that, of every generation, twelve 
thousand were marked; eleven generations 
followed. Him and the rest were numberless. 

Next came the second company, the dear 
and holy Apostles. They came after the Birth 
of our Lord; and they were led by Him by a 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 217 


much higher way, and to a state of greater per- 
fection. They forsook all things, not only 
inwardly, but also outwardly, in true poverty of 
body and soul, and that in the highest degree 
possible. 

Then came the holy Martyrs, and of these a 
great company followed Him. ‘They not only 
forsook all things, but they also laid down their 
lives when God required it of them, and in 
whatever way He chose. 

Then He was followed by a great company 
of holy Confessors, who followed their call in 
divers ways. Some lived alone unto God in 
seclusion, and received the truth within, in 
silence, and listening to what God, the Eternal 
Word, spake unto them. Such men fled to the 
woods and caves. Others joined religious Orders, 
and lived in Holy Christendom, preaching and 
writing, hearing confessions, teaching and ad- 
monishing, doing all things heartily, as unto 
God, and giving up self and all that was not 
of God. 

Then followed the blessed company of pure 
and modest Virgins, undefiled in body and soul. 
Oh! what a holy and blessed thing it is to be 
found undefiled in body like an Angel, and to 
whom God has granted the honour of being 
found in the garb which He and His Blessed 
Mother wore with such grace. The joy is so 
great that no one in this world ought ‘to be 
able to trouble such a man; neither should 
sorrow or any trouble go to his heart, if he has 
only preserved this treasure. He, who desires to 


218 THE INNER WAY 


preserve it in all its nobility, must struggle and 
suffer ; and his heart will often be wounded by 
his natural desires and his evil nature, the flesh 
and the devil. Now mark, children, every 
attack, made by temptations of this nature only 
brings forth purity; he, who thus learns to 
know himself therein, will find that this is his 
reward. O, children, who gives heed to the 
rewards thus brought forth! Then comes the 
company of the common people, who give heed 
to such things; they are also upheld by the 
faith and prayer of the Friends of God. ‘They 
must be purified in purgatory, or else they cannot 
enter into the Kingdom of the Father ; and, as 
we keep to-day as the day of the souls that are 
purified, so we shall keep to-morrow, as the day 
of the souls that are not, that they also may be 
purified. ‘Thus, for one earthly delight, and one 
daily sin, we shall have to suffer more pain in 
purgatory than the pain of all the martyrs, could 
it be heaped together, whose day we are keeping. 
This must needs be for the slightest opposing of 
our will to God in sin, and for despising His call 
and His mediation. 

Now these are the companies who followed 
Christ up the mountain of His Blessedness. Then 
He opened His Divine Mouth and spake the eight 
Beatitudes. We will say a little about each one. 
He said first : “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for 
theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”’ This virtue 
is placed first, because it is the chief part, and 
the beginning of all perfection. Children, turn 
it which way ye will, the heart of man must be 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 219 


bare, empty, free, poor and undisturbed, if God is 
really to work therein. It must be quite empty, 
and then God may and will dwell therein. 

Now this poverty may be accepted and 
exercised in four different ways. The first are 
those who are poor against their own will and 
wish. No one ought to judge harshly of these 
poor; for the Lord overlooks their faults all the 
more graciously on account of their poverty. 

St Thomas says of the second kind of poverty, 
that-it is to be desired and accepted to the same 
extent in which we find it a help to us, and a 
furtherance of the freedom and emptiness of our 
minds ; for many a man’s mind is freer and less 
preoccupied when he possesses what is needful, 
than when he is obliged to provide it every day. 
He, who is allowed to possess what is needful, 
and uses it with thankfulness, is often less anxious 
than he who has to seek it. But, if such a man 
should find that it has taken possession of his 
heart, or that it disturbs him, so that he is not 
exercising the virtues of charity, moderation, 
humility and absolute purity, he ought to give 
all up, and become poor outwardly, like the poor. 

The third kind of poverty is that of one who 
so dearly loves God, that nothing can hinder 
him, and everything becomes a help to him. 
As St Paul says, all things are a help to the 
good ; so this man remains unaffected by every- 
thing that is not absolutely of God, by every- 
thing that touches his heart, so that he may 
become poor, bare and free. These can say with 
St Pauk: “ As having nothing and yet possess- 


220 THE INNER WAY 


ing all things,’! so the inner man is un- 
harmed. 

The fourth kind of this absolute poverty is 
that of a man who desires to be poor, both out- 
wardly and inwardly, after the example of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, who imitates His absolute 
poverty out of real love, neither troubled by it 
nor concealing it, either outwardly or inwardly. 
Such only have a bare, pure, direct and unceasing 
intercourse with their Source and Beginning, so 
that there cannot be a sudden falling away with- 
out the heart being aware of it and returning 
speedily. This is the most absolute poverty ; 
for the most noble form of poverty is a turning 
to God, bare, free and unhindered, now and for 
ever, like that of the poor Saints. 

Now we come to the second: “ Blessed are 
the meek, for they shall possess the land.” 
Here we come a degree nearer in blessedness ; 
for all difficulties are solved by true poverty; for 
by this meekness we get closer to the Source of 
all things, and all bitterness, anger and untruth- 
fulness are driven out; for it is written: ‘ All 
things are clean to the clean,’’® to the meek all 
things are pure. - All this comes out of a pure, 
good heart, so that to the good all things are 
good. In days gone by the Friends of God 
were martyred, prepared (tortured ) and tormented 
by the heathen ; but now it is done ‘by people 
who appear to be good Christians ; they cut us 
to the heart, and yet they are our neighbours. 
If thou turnest to God, they say: “Thou art 

12 Cor. vi. ro. 2 Titus i. 15. 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 221 


mad ; thou hast lost thy head ; thou hast strange 
customs, and thou art a deceiver.’” Then comes 
meekness, and leads and guides thee to thyself 
in thine own heart, that thou mayest receive all 
as from God, and not from man. Thus thou 
remainest in perfect peace, and sayest: ‘ What 
can man do to harm thee, if thou hast God for 
thy Friend?” and thus the meek possess the 
land, and remain in perfect peace, in spite of all 
that may befall them. But if thou dost not act 
thus, thou wilt lose all thy virtue and thy peace 
as well; and thou wilt be called a snarler, as 
though thou wert a fierce dog. 

Thirdly, our Lord said: ‘ Blessed are they 
that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” In 
one sense He means those who suffer ; in another 
sense, those who mourn for their sins, always 
excepting the blessed Friends of God, who are 
the most blessed of all here; for they have done 
with weeping for their own sins, and may not 
mourn for them any more ; and yet they have not 
ceased weeping, for they weep for the sins and 
infirmities of their neighbours. We read that 
St Dominic asked one of his companions, who 
was weeping bitterly, why he wept. He replied: 
‘«« Dear father, because of my sins.’ Then said 
the Saint : “No, dear son, they have been 
sufficiently mourned for; but I beseech thee, 
dear son, to weep for those who will not weep 
for themselves.’’ Thus the true Friends of God 
weep for all the blindness and misery of the sins 
of the world, and for all its wickedness. For 
when God allows His anger and His judgments 


222 THE INNER WAY 


to fall upon us, and we say so many dreadful 
things about the fire, the floods, the great dark- 
ness, strong winds and bad times, then the Saints 
mourn over all before the Lord, day and night; 
and He regardeth them and ceaseth, waiting to 
see if we will do better. If we do not improve, 
we must expect yet heavier and severer plagues. 
The clouds hang over us; but they are held up 
by the weeping of the Friends of God. But, 
be sure of this, if we do not improve, they will 
soon fall: and then there will be such tumults 
and turmoils that we shall be put in mind of the 
Judgment Day. Those who are now at peace 
will suffer from great oppression, and the Word 
of God and Divine Service will become almost 
unknown. ‘There will only be a service here or 
there, arid no one will know where to go. But 
our faithful God will find a place of refuge, where 
He can preserve His own.! 

Fourthly: ‘Blessed are they that hunger 
and thirst after justice.” This, in truth, is a 
virtue which has been possessed by very few 
men. Very few hunger and desire, in thought, 
sight and taste, for righteousness only. There 
would be neither favour nor disfavour, either for 
my benefit or for that of my friends, nor for my 
honour, praise or blame; there would be neither 
false judgment, favour or disfavour, where this 
ground was found; but he who finds it may 
well be praised. For he to whom nothing is 

1 This appears to be a reference to the interdict 


under which Strasburg lay in Tauler’s time,and a proof 
that this sermon was preached there, . 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 223 


delightful, and who cares for nothing but justice, 
has ascended to a very high degree. We may 
well say to such an one that he is blessed. 

Fifthly : ‘* Blessed are the merciful, for they 
shall obtain mercy.” It is said that mercy is 
the attribute that God shows forth in all His 
works: therefore a merciful man is a truly god- 
_ like man. For mercy is brought forth by love 
and kindness. ‘Therefore the true Friends of 
God are much more merciful, and more ready 
to believe in the sinful and suffering, than those 
who are not loving. Mercy is born of that love 
which we ought to exercise towards each other. 
If we do not, God will require it of us at the 
Judgment Day ; and, where He findeth not the 
requisite mercy, He will refuse mercy, as He 
Himself has said. He says nothing of perfection, 
and censures only those who have not been 
merciful. This mercy is not concerned only 
with gifts, but it ought to extend to all the 
suffering that falls, or may fall, on a man when 
tried. He who does not look on his neighbour 
with true love and pity, mercifully overlooking 
all his weakness and infirmity, may well fear for 
himself, that God will refuse him His mercy. 
«With what measure you mete, it shall be 
measured to you again.””! Therefore let every 
one look to himself, that he judge not his 
neighbour, nor condemn, that he may himself be 
uncondemned throughout Eternity. 

Sixthly : “Blessed are the peacemakers, for 
they shall be called the Children of God.” 


1 Matt. vii. 2. 


224 THE INNER WAY 


Men, who possess true peace, are lovable men : 
indeed, and their peace no man taketh from 
them. Their own will is lost in the Will of 
God, in love and sorrow, weal or woe, in time 
and in Eternity. Their works and all their life 
are in God, not after a human fashion, but in a 
divine and supernatural way. They are baptised 
in the Power of the Father, the Wisdom of the 
Son, and the precious Love of the Holy Ghost, 
and they are so saturated therewith, that no man 
can mar their peace. These three Divine Persons 
have so filled them, that, were it needful, they 
could make their peace known throughout the 
land; for they are filled with the light of the 
Divine Wisdom which has passed through them. 
Thus, full of love also themselves, they overflow, 
both within and without, in true love to their 
neighbours. Thus overflowing, nothing else can 
be found in them, however they may be ap- 
proached, but love and peace. These are they 
who at heart are peace-makers. The peace which 
passeth all understanding has taken such hold of 
them, that none can drive it away ; and they are 
rightly called the Children of God; for that 
which the Only-begotten Son has by nature, is 
given to them of grace. The peaceful are in 
very truth begotten of God and of His Heart; 
for this peace cannot otherwise be brought forth, 
either by discipline or by any outward means. 
Still, those in whom this peace is to be found, 
may have to suffer many offences, in the outer 
man, in many ways. 

Seventhly : “ Blessed are the clean of heart, 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 225 


for they shall see God.’? What is a clean 
heart? A heart bare, free and untroubled by 
any creature, where God finds the ground bare, 
free and untroubled. The pure shall indeed see 
God. This purity of heart is defiled by man, 
when he wantonly turns with heart and desire to 
the creature, and rests therein ; and, the more he 
rests and seeks and finds in that which is not 
God, the more he separates himself from God. 
Thus his eyes are blinded and he cannot rest in 
the Vision of God. The external purity of the 
flesh is very helpful to the purity of the heart; 
as St Paul says: ‘‘ Virgins think day and night, 
unceasingly, of the things of God, but they that 
have husbands cannot do this.”’ As bodily purity 
is lost by the outward neglect of the body, so also 
the noble integrity of the spirit in the Likeness of 
God is lost and spoiled by the willing addition 
of things that are not in His Likeness; so that 
by this means man’s spirit is darkened, and he 
cannot see his Source nor his true Abode, nor 
that for which he was created and sent forth; 
namely, that he should unceasingly return to his 
Source and there see God with the eyes of his 
spirit and his understanding. Therefore, purity 
is much to be praised, because it ever provides 
an open pathway to God; for the spouse of 
God should so keep herself that she should desire 
to please none but God only; that is, if she 
desires to be, or to be called His spouse. 

It is impossible to express in words the eighth 
Beatitude, that those are blessed who suffer per- 
secution for righteousness’ sake. The faithful 


P 


226 THE INNER WAY 7 
and true God, who has chosen that His Friends — 
should be very near to Him in His own 
blessedness, sends speedy and great suffering, 
when He sees that they are not living as befits 
them ; so that they may follow after blessedness 
whether they will or no. This is immeasurable 
faithfulness on the part of God, and it ought to 
be the cause of immeasurable thankfulness on the 
part of man, that he is thus obliged to suffer. 
He ought to acknowledge that he is unworthy 
. of it; and it should fill him with hope that God 
has granted him this honour and grace, that he 
may be made like unto God and follow after 
Him. St Bernard says: ‘a little suffering borne 
patiently is far and away of greater worth than 
long discipline in good works.’”? St Thomas 
says: “ All suffering, however slight, that can 
be suffered either outwardly or inwardly, is a copy 
of the most precious Suffering of our Lord.” 
But a still more worthy suffering, and closer 
to that of our Lord, is an inner suffering with 
God; for though all suffering is incredibly 
useful and fruitful, yet this is still more desirable 
and noble. As high and far above all creatures 
as God is, so is this suffering high and far above 
all the works that man cando, Therefore we 
ought to love God very dearly, when He leads 
us to eternal salvation by means of suffering with 
Him. The work must be God’s and not man’s, 
and we must see God in it. Man ought by 
nature to suffer rather than to work ; to receive 
rather than give ; for every such gift increases 
and ennobles the desire for more gifts a thousand 


. 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 227 


times. He who empties himself and makes 
himself bare, and holds himself in inner peace, 
looking for the work of God in his soul, will 
give place to God, and desire to bear all that 
God may work in him, in His noble and divine 
work. For God is always working, and His 
Spirit is always suffering. What a marvellous 
blessing it would be, if man would only hold 
fast to his nobility, and, under God, keep him- 
self bare and pure; so that God, if it pleased 
Him, might see His work in man. God grant 
that we may attain to this blessedness. Amen. 


SERMON XXVI 
Att Saints’ Day 


Tue Seconp Sermon! 


Of two kinds of Poverty ; the lack of worldly goods, 
and Poverty of Spirit. How Poverty of Spirit is the 
much more perfect kind; more painful and also 
more pleasing to God. Of what Poverty of Spirit 
consists, and how man can attain to it. 


Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est 
regnum coelorum. 


$ BLESSED are the poor in spirit, for theirs 
is the Kingdom of Heaven.” 2 

There are two kinds of poverty; one is ex- 

1 In some editions this is given as the first sermon 


for All Saints’ Day. 
2 Matt. v. 3. 


228 THE INNER WAY 1 


ternal, affecting the outer man, and consists of : 
giving up all temporal things for the sake of | 
God, and this is an Evangelical Counsel. The 
other kind of poverty is that of the spirit and 
humility of heart. ‘This is required of all men; 
of each man according to his vocation ; and now 
we will say something of both kinds. 

The first kind of poverty is not binding on 
every man, but only on those who are called 
thereto by God, and to whose spirit the desire 
is given to imitate, in the highest degree, the 
outward Humanity of Christ. ‘To do this they 
must forsake all things, and must give even 
themselves in alms; begging their bread day 
by day, like St Francis and all his brethren. 
Thus to follow after Christ outwardly is the 
highest grade. No man can attain to this in 
his own strength ; for he will have to give up 
all temporal advantages absolutely, to deny him- 
self outwardly all temporal goods. Nature does 
not willingly act thus, for it is hard; but the 
more difficult it is to nature, the more acceptable 
it is to God. It is a peculiarly holy life to 
those who walk therein, with pure hearts and 
good intentions; and by means of their good 
example, God often brings about the conversion 
of many worldly people, especially amongst the 
poor who are living in great sin. Therefore 
this poverty is greatly rewarded by God. But, 
if this outward poverty is to work for their real 
good, it must also take place inwardly. For this 
reason outward poverty is most useful when it 
becomes a help to inner poverty. 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 229 


The second kind of poverty is that of the 
spirit, and real humility of heart. It consists of 
the resignation of all comforts and pleasures ; 
and, as outward poverty requires that all temporal 
comfort should be forsaken, so this points to the 
forsaking of all inner consolation, in virtue, 
fervour, and all the pleasures of inward cheerful- 
ness and joy. 

Now, dear children, try to understand me 
aright, how ye ought to attain to this. May 
God grant that ye will desire this poverty, and 
also that which is external. He will not 
succeed who sets himself to acquire it without 
any inner inclination; or takes it on himself, 
because he has read of it in the Scriptures, or 
heard of it, or lays hold of it out of anxiety. 
He who is not driven thereto by divine inspira- 
tion, will stand still, and will not attain to true 
virtue. He thinks only of externals, of the 
state of willing poverty, but he does not look 
upon it as Christ did, and as He calls some 
men thereto, who fill the highest places in the 
Holy Church, and who, for God’s sake, first 
became outwardly poor, that they might become 
inwardly poor also. Some think only of the 
state of outward poverty, and do not look within. 
They are quite content with outward poverty ; 
for they think everything depends upon that; if 
at times inner fervour and a sweet foretaste are 
theirs, they call it contemplation, or the con- 
templative life. Now all this is still taking 
place in the lowest grade of their nature, accord- 
ing to the integrity and spirituality of their 


230 THE INNER WAY 


lowest powers; and so they do not look any — 
further within, but they imagine there is no 
higher way. Thus they become only a little 
like unto Christ in His Humanity; but they 
ought to go further, and learn to be like unto 
Christ in spirit and in truth. As He was 
united in spirit with the Father, so also must 
they strive to be, as far as possible, in this 
life. 

Inner poverty is a much higher state than 
outward poverty, because it is in the Likeness 
of God, while the latter only resembles His 
Humanity. It is also much safer. He who 
possesses both is the most exalted. But there 
are not many such men to be found; for people 
are much diseased by nature; and, therefore, if 
one or the other must be lacking, it is better to 
lack outward poverty, and to seek inward poverty, 
according to the power of each man, in what- 
ever state he may be. A poor and humble 
heart is needful for all men; but every man is 
not bound to be outwardly poor, but only those 
who are called by God thereto. This inner way 
and poverty are hard to follow; and if a man 
could have as much strength as the strongest 
man who ever lived, he would need it all to 
enable him to endure to the end of his life. Is 
it not then quite right that such men should haye 
outward comforts and proper attention when they 
are ill, especially those who have long tormented 
the outer man? It is, however, so difficult to carry 
this out, that they will not be able to succeed well 
by casting off all necessaries, by watchings, by hard 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 231 


external labour ; for they are rather hindered by 
severe and external abstinence. When they are 
suffering, oppressed, in terror, or in severe pain, 
their hearts are so full, that they can scarcely 
bear all; and, if then they were to do severe 
outward penance, they would destroy their natural 
powers, and would be unable to attend to God’s 
imner admonitions; therefore, when they are in 
this condition, proper attention should be allowed 
them, that they may get better. Be sure of this, 
that they will have to do penance for the com- 
forts allowed to nature, with fear and trembling, 
though outwardly they may hold high positions 
in the world, having goods and possessions in 
accordance with their rank, and yet still possessing 
this inner poverty. The more these people have 
of external honour, goods and ease, in accordance 
with their rank, the heavier is the load they bear 
within; while outwardly they are obliged to do 
their utmost to foster this poverty of spirit. 
When they cannot accomplish this without 
natural, comforts, they make use of them in 
fear and bitterness, as secretly as they can, so 
that they. may offend none. Thus any one 
might possess a kingdom without injury to him- 
self; or any other position, and yet be poor in 
spirit and miserable. Very few are ready to 
believe that such great benefits may thus be 
gained, yea, in every state of life, if man be 
only ready to die to his natural lusts, and to turn 
with all his heart to this poverty. None are 
too rich, or too great, or too poor, to attain to 
this way, to choose it and to walk therein; all 


232 THE INNER WAY 


who earnestly seek it can find it. Therefore, 
the man who is unable to accept both kinds of — 
poverty should turn to this one, stay in his calling, 
and learn to be poor in spirit, that is of a humble — 
heart. 

The best way to train ourselves in this, is to 
call upon God for help, beseeching Him to pre- 
serve us from sin, and to grant us endurance in — 
suffering } for poverty of spirit consists of inward — 
suffering, oppression and misery. It may not be 
driven out by any pleasure. Man must exercise 
himself in all virtues, in as much as it lies in his 
power; and, if he is not pleased, but more 
suffering comes from other people, and he is 
chastised by God, and afflicted in his body, 
while all men, both clergy and laity, disconcert, 
scorn and despise him; while in all this, he 
suffers and does not give way, but waits till God 
sends him relief; see, this is being poor in spirit. 
Now mark, how much harder it is to choose 
this inner poverty than lack of goods. It is 
truly much more pleasing to God and much 
nobler. Those who preach and teach this inner 
poverty, are doing God much more service than 
those who teach external poverty only. This 
life is'far more like unto God than the other; 
and many hundred times more labour is required 
in it. It would also be better to induce a 
hundred men to follow after poverty of spirit, 
than one to endure outward poverty. It does 
not need much proof to show that this is a far 
higher life than the first; for it is so much 
harder to choose it. That men are more easily 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY = 233 


moved by outward poverty arises from the fact 
that they believe more readily what they see, 
than what they hear of, and have not tried. 
God wills that some men should choose external 
poverty, because the life is well-pleasing to Him, 
and that they may have much fruit amongst the 
common people, who cannot understand poverty 
of spirit, because they are so full of care, and 
who regard outward poverty as the most ex- 
cellent state. It teaches and moves them to 
turn from their own most sinful life and to 
repent. 

Those who love external poverty, and exercise 
themselves therein, are sometimes richly endowed 
by God with spiritual riches within. No suffering 
vexes them outwardly, because they are so joyful 
in spirit. Some think it almost an impossibility, 
when they hear that they ought to turn from these 
delights. They consider that external poverty 
is of small account; they think more of inner 
poverty, because they really love themselves too 
well, and act thus that they may be able to follow 
the dictates of nature, while they think or imagine 
that they wish to serve God in pure joyfulness. 
This is verily and indeed true of those who, not 
having been compelled and urged from within, 
flee from outward poverty ; thus they are con- 
_ stantly deceived and become very dangerous 
people. But those who have tasted it, and who 
strive to live in pain, and who go straight on in 
their course, in true resignation, will find it much 
more painful than the other course could ever 
have been; and, had they the strength of ten 


234 THE INNER WAY 


men, they would find it useful. It is necessary 
that they should eat and drink well, so that they 
may not suffer from headache; for our nature is 
not so-strong and powerful as it used to'be ; and 
they cannot follow, both in the outer and inner 
way, without especial grace from God. But let 
him who is admonished by God to take the first 
way, walk in it with the help of God; and then, 
doubtless, help will be given him: for the other, 
so that he can turn to it with all his might, and 
thus follow on in both. But if he cannot follow 
on in both, let him keep to the second for the 
present, and let him destroy and kill his sins 
only, and not his nature. He, who is not called 
to the first, should turn and pray for the second, 
that he may fear God in his own state of life ; 
for with God ‘there is no respect of persons, but 
He loves and is well-pleased with all who hes 
Him and are-pious. 

Now, may the merciful God help ius to serve 
Him in such a righteous life, forsaking our sins 
and all the lusts of the flesh, and, the sweetness 
of spirituality, that we may attain to true poverty 
of spirit. All sorts and conditions of men are 
called hereto. First and foremost the clergy, 
and especially the priests, as is shown by the life 
of John the Baptist, who led a hard and strict 
life, and deprived himself outwardly of all that he 
could possibly give up. He also possessed’ true 
poverty of spirit, that is deep and true humility, 
despising the body, and holding himself of no 
repute in comparison with the Lord Jesus; for 
he said: “The latchet of Whose shoe I am not 


= “<I . 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 235 


worthy to unloose.”’! He also said: “I ought 
to be baptised by Thee, and comest Thoutome?”’? 
Thus it was quite evident that he was despised 
and rejected of men; for Christ tells us that, 
because he ate and drank so little, some of them 
said : “ Hehathadevil.”? And at last it came 
to pass, that for the truth’s sake he was beheaded 
in the dungeon, and thus murdered secretly, just 
as though he did not belong to God ; for he had 
no visible spiritual consolations, but he suffered 
death patiently. This is also shown in the life 
of the holy Pope Gregory, who had less comfort 
in the inner and outer man from all his riches 
and honour, than a hermit has in his cell. This 
is also proved to all women and laymen by the 
example of our Blessed Lady, who had no 
temporal consolations. And Christ is our 
Example above all, for He was outwardly poor, 
and still poorer in spirit; and, from the Manger 
to the Cross, He never experienced any comfort. 
Thus all His disciples and Saints have followed 
after Him, each one in his hard and suffering 
life, according to his power, and as God has 
decreed. God grant that we also may attain to 
this, and may come to a perfect life. Amen. 


1 John i. 27. 2 Matt. iii. 14. 
3 Matt. xi. 18. 


236 THE INNER WAY 


SERMON XXVII 


Aut Saints’ Day, or St Ursuta’s Day 
Tue Tuirp Sermon 1 
How man can attain to the Purity of Heart which 
will enable him to see God in this life, to be sensible 


of His Divine Inspiration, and hereafter to possess 
and ‘enjoy Him for ever. 


Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum vide- 
bunt. 


“ BLESSED are the clean of heart for they 
shall see God.” 2 

Mark well, dear children, how all those who 
desire to be pleasing unto God, must be cleansed 
from all outer and inner stains and blemishes, 
for otherwise God will not accept them, but 
will let them perish in many outer and inner 
errors. 

He who would gladly be freed from sin, and 
who desires to possess a pure and empty heart, 
free from anxiety, with which, even in this life, 
in spirit he may see God, must seek the Grace 
of God; and must, before all things, examine 
his conscience diligently, that he may learn to 
cleanse it, by dying to all the vices of which he 
was ever guilty, either outwardly or inwardly. 
Now what is a good conscience? It is a quiet, 
peaceful, pure heart, humble and lowly, which 
desires God’s Will and Honour, and is ready to 


1JIn some editions this is given as the second 
sermon for All Saints’ Day. 
2 Matt. v. 8. 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY 237 


give or receive all things, without making any 
choice ; he who has such a heart will be blessed, 
and the Will of God will be done by him. But 
before a man can attain to this, so that his 
conscience is pure, empty and quiet, he will 
have to go through great suffering; and his 
conscience will be constantly pricking and gnaw- 
ing him. First, he acknowledges the greatness 
of his sins, which he mourns and repents. Then 
he begins to shun and avoid evil, and to resist 
sin and all that causes it; so that he may learn 
to die unto it, that he may be clean and no 
longer consent to it. After this he begins to do 
good, and to set his face against all wanton 
desires of the senses, even giving up things 
which are allowed (as David did), in eating 
and drinking, walking and standing, seeing and 
hearing, walking and resting in many things that 
are permissible, in order that he may grow better, 
and follow the teaching of the Gospel. There- 
fore, those things in which he has taken great 
delight, and in which he has indulged, he must 
subdue and repress. By this means conscience 
learns how to purify the desires, as before it had 
striven to guard against gross sins. 

After this the outer man suffers great discom- 
fort which the body can ill bear. When man 
has succeeded, by the Grace of God, in cutting 
off gross sins, and has begun to get the mastery 
over his spirit, by cutting himself off from all 
his accustomed pleasures, it seems strange to his 
animal nature, which begins to struggle. Then, 
whether he take it amiss, or simply, plainly and 


238 THE INNER WAY 


patiently, yet he will find that he is ill at ease, 
and full of infirmity, and that his ill-ordered 


_—— 


mind will not submit to guidance. He cannot — 


keep his senses outwardly under control; he 
cannot keep silence, but must talk, either to 
complain of his wants, or to boast of his good 
works. He finds fault with all that he does 
not ,like, and casts aside everything to which he 
is averse. He complains of all that harms him, 
while anything, which is advantageous, pleases 
him. That which is sweet is also pleasant ; 
while he is unwilling to accept any task that is 
hard and difficult. All that he praises must 
be praised; while no one may praise, in his 
presence, anything with which he finds fault. 
See, dear children, how a man thus begins to 
fathom and to probe his own heart, and to realise 
what he is, and what he can do of himself. 
He earnestly desires to drive some evil thing out 
of his heart, and to purify it; but it is sour and 
hard to him. His nature can as yet scarcely 
bear suffering, mortification and oppression and 
shame, though on account of many things he is 
conscience-stricken and repentant, and acknow- 
ledges before God and man that he has not 
done right in these things. Because he does 
not yet know what it is to die to all evil desires, 
he may easily fall a prey to them; and not 
without cause; for evil desires lie hidden at the 
bottom of his heart, to which he is outwardly 
so much inclined, that it is most needful he 
should exercise himself, in the outer man, in the 
virtues shown forth by our Lord Jesus Christ, 


ALL SAINTS’ DAY — 239 


while he shuns those things to which he is 
inclined. 

After this the man begins to be more spirit- 
ually-minded, in a fruitful and virtuous life ; he 
must begin with a fervent prayer, which must 
arise from his conflict with sin, as has already 
been said. Further, true penitence and sorrow 
for sin arise from such prayers; then contempt 
of self and his sinful life, and then the man 
begins with good will to yield himself up to 
suffer pain, mortification, oppression, contradiction 
and ignominy and all kinds of trouble in which 
he may find himself, while in all he gives and 
offers himself up to God. He begins out of 
love to learn true resignation and patience in the 
faith and hope of Christ. He will have nothing 
more of self, that the purity of his conscience 
may in no way be stained. He then begins to 
hate himself, and despise himself, while he en- 
deavours to guard against all judging of others, 
and strives to shut out all sin when he becomes 
aware of temptation. He diligently guards 
against all incitements to sin, so that he may not 
give place to the Devil. He hangs on God with 
all his heart, and cleaves to nothing else. He 
patiently suffers to the end all the suffering that 
comes to him, till God releases him. He will 
not seek for ease by means of any comfort, 
either bodily or spiritual. The consequence of 
all this is, that he is willing to be guided by his 
superiors, desiring to subject himself wholly unto 
God. He first notices what is present to him, 
and then exercises himself therein. If it is 


240 THE INNER WAY 


good, he is thankful; if he is tempted, he fights 
against it. Further, he learns that he must 
bewail his need to none, save God, to Whom he 
prays for perseverance. He is never uplifted by 
anything on earth, and has no pleasure in self ; 
but he delights only in God, in all things, and 
above all things. He is thankful and good- 
tempered, whether things go well or ill with 
him. He loves his neighbours, feeling pity for 
their weakness, and shuns all external things and 
all sudden outbursts, especially in mirth. He 
avoids all lukewarmness in discipline and excess 
of pleasure. All that belongs to God is good ; 
therefore man should be careful in keeping 
watch over himself, not high-minded but think- 
ing little of self. Everything that he advises 
another to shun, he must shun himself, such as 
self-will, of which especially he must rid himself. 
He must strive to build on his imperfection and 
littleness, offering himself in all his suffering to 
God, and bearing always the Life and Sufferings 
of Christ in his heart. He will cling to no 
creature, that God alone may be his Love and 
his Lover. He purifies his heart that he may 
learn to see God here in truth, and that he may 
see Him yet more purely and more clearly in 
eternal salvation, God grant that this may be 
our portion. Amen. 


ST CATHERINE’ 241 


SERMON XXVIII 


On THE Feast oF THE Hoty Vircin 
St CaTHERINE 

Of the great advantage and fruitfulness to which 
we may attain, if we diligently meditate on, and 
exercise ourselves in, the Sufferings of Christ. This 
may well be compared to a costly Pearl, which 
devout virgins ought to seek everywhere diligently, 
to buy and to possess. 


Inventa una preciosa margarita, abit et 
vendidit universa que habuit, et emit eam. 


- ANP: when he had found one pearl of great 
price, he went his way and sold all that 
he had Sn bought it.’’ } 

She found a costly pearl, and therefore forsook 
everything, and parted with all her goods that 
she might buy it. We may understand by this 
that the virgin of God has forsaken all things 
for the sake of her purity, which she prizes like 
a precious stone, and that she has preserved that 
only. Secondly, the virgin of Christ has found 
the Sufferings of Christ, and has copied them, 
withdrawing from all earthly pleasures, to thank 
Him for this suffering. 

The simplest way in which we can serve 
God consists of two things. The first is the 
ordinary discipline of the Holy Church, and a 
life spent in subjection, in poverty, in purity and 
in other good practices, such as were undertaken 
by the holy and gifted dwellers in monasteries. 

1 Matt. xiii. 46, 
Q 


’ 


242 THE INNER WAY 


This is a safe and good thing to do, in order to 
subdue the outer man, and to turn to virtue. 

The second point is, that we should exercise 
ourselves in imitating the Sufferings of our Lord ; 
endeavouring once every day to consider them 
fully, and, as far as possible, to compare, in all 
points, our lives with His, noticing, especially, 
all that God sends us, to which we must submit, 
following after God. If we watch carefully, 
we shall find that God, in His great and loving 
mercy, will unceasingly send us so much trouble, 
that we shall not be able to exalt ourselves, or 
make ourselves equal with God. We must 
meditate on all this suffering, learning and 
working with all our hearts, and in all our 
work, striving to do all things to the glory of 
God. We must also strive to gain such control 
over our senses, that, in a short time, the love 
of the world will be quite extinguished in us. 
Thus the Sufferings of Christ may well be com- 
pared to a precious stone or pearl, which a 
virgin of Christ preserves, that she may adorn 
herself therewith. She must meditate every 
day on the Sufferings of Christ, from the Last 
Supper to the Resurrection, and she must buy 
that pearl with all that she has and can gather 
together, in all her works, her thankfulness and 
longings. Herewith we ought to be able easily 
to overcome all the evil inclinations of our 
nature and our evil thoughts; herewith we 
ought soon to arrive at a heartfelt acknowledg-~ 
ment of our own weakness and infirmities, and 
to attain to deep humility ; and thus go on to an 


ST CATHERINE 243 


inner, perfect sympathy with our Lord, and all 
men, in true love. He who does not turn to 
this, can never really learn to know himself, but 
he will probably remain outside, content with 
outward observances. Even though he forced 
himself onwards through outward things and 
work, yet all cannot sweeten him within unless 
he earnestly repents. 

Good fruits proceed from these pearls of the 
Sufferings of Christ, when men are enabled by 
grace to offer themselves to God in all their 
sufferings, and to trust God in simplicity and 
not in wicked cunning. God ordains all and 
bears the burden Himself, and thus men learn 
true resignation, and God is able to help them in 
their infirmity. Thus God begins to draw man 
by His love from the love of the creature, and 
they begin to learn discrimination in all their 
actions, to trust God in all things, and to 
understand that they must not think anything of 
themselves, nor trust to self, nor rest in anything, 
but only in the Grace of God. Therefore they 
believe fully that they will not be deceived ; but 
he who trusts in himself will be deceived. Now 
this results in yet more grace; and such men 
begin to distinguish between Divine Grace and 
emotional feelings; for notice how many a man 
leads a seemingly good life, and is outwardly 
humble and simple, and who yet thinks much of 
himself in his heart. 

Good virgins keep, both outwardly and in- 
wardly, and with all their might, all the ordinary, 
good and regular ordinances of the Holy Church 


244 THE INNER WAY 


and the Holy Scriptures. "They commune with 
their own hearts, and cleave to God, to Whom 
they may best pour out all their wants, and not to 
man. When they thus turn away from man, they 
will have to suffer much oppression and shame 
from him; and yet they will hold their peace in 
all their difficulties, laying all before God and not 
before man, accustoming themselves to meditate 
constantly on the Sufferings and Life of Christ. 
God gives them strength through the Sufferings 
of Christ, so that they dare to stand alone, 
although they are despised for it, and they dare 
to carry on their own meditations. But this 
they do in fear and trembling before God, 
because it is counted wrong and foolish by man. 
But God bears witness to their consciences, and 
that makes them very thankful, so that they 
rejoice out of love to God. The Enemy 
cannot easily ensnare such people by means of 
sorrow, because they have constant communion, 
and hope for nothing from the light of nature, 
human wisdom, or things that seem good. 
They do not depend only upon sweet com- 
munion and fervour; just as though all must be 
well with them, and they must be united with 
God, because things do go well with them. 
Those who imagine thus are the most deceived 
by the Devil; but they must leave all to God, 
discipline themselyes and examine themselves, 
both outwardly and inwardly, and flee to God 
with all their might without any delay. Though 
the body must sometimes rest outwardly from 
discipline, the heart ceases not to’ give God 


ST CATHERINE 245 


thanks, to honour Him, and to resist all that is 
inconsistent with the needs of the body. These 
people pray that God will forgive them their 
sins, because’ they displease Him, and not in 
order to escape the pains of hell, or to attain to 
everlasting life. They pray that God will de 
what He wills with them and as He wills, till 
they come to their End, and that here and 
hereafter God may be glorified in them. They 
pray that they may not displease God by their 
sins, but that He will forgive them; that they 
may not be prevented from receiving grace, so 
that they may learn to continue in virtue. They 
pray for remission of sins, not for remission of 
pain; that they leave to God. Mark, this it is to 
which man comes, if he exercises himself in the 
Sufferings of Christ for this object, and if he 
perseveres to the end. 

Alas! how few men attain to this; and all 
because of their superficiality, so that they do not 
turn simply to God in their hearts. Therefore 
one man is very unlike another in this life; and 
this arises solely from this reason, that the one 
cannot be content without external work and 
internal discipline, while the other is quite content 
with external work: this pearl is not therefore 
given alike to all. Thus it comes to pass that 
men cannot understand one another ; and at times 
they cause each other pain; but when it is under- 
stood that it was done in ignorance, man should 
bear patiently with them, while their blindness 
must also be borne patiently. By such good- 
hearted men God desires to teach many other 


246 THE INNER WAY 


people, and to call them into the right way, as 
they have well known in their hearts. For they 
who did not give up self, before they entered in, 
or they who have not truly entered in, are likely 
to fall into many errors, before they are aware of 
it; for they easily find that which appeals to 
nature and which pleases their senses; and thus 
they make no spiritual progress. If God suffers 
this carnal service, still He is not pleased with it ; 
for all the great fruitfulness, of which we have 
already spoken, is checked in them, and in all 
those who might have been helped by them, if 


ee 


they had taken the first course; and had cast off — 


their carnal desires and had then looked into 
their own hearts. But now they have remained 
in this carnal service, which yields but little ; but 
it would indeed be well if those men were to 
turn, to submit, to the best of their power, to 


the blessed Will of God, and thus to glorify God, — 


and to be of use to those people with whom God 
is angry, and who have brought many people into 
sin. 

Now, as I have already shown, this pearl may, 
perchance, become very fruitful, which was found 
first in sweetness, in confession, in love and all 
kinds of discipline. But then man will have to 
come down again from sweetness to bitterness, in 
resignation and suffering out of love, and thus to 
die toself. The freer man is fromself-pleasing, the 
freer he will be from the snares of the Devil, from 
the temptations and misery’ of these times, from 
hell and purgatory ; neither will he be likely to fall 
again into sin, unless he turns again with all his 


THE TWELVE APOSTLES 247 


heart and soul thereto ; and that is not likely to 
happen. As the first state of fervour demands 
deeds of virtue, done in sweetness, so this grade 
demands deeds of virtue, done in hard labour, 
with gnawings of conscience and severe discipline ; 
which must all be borne in simple faith and trust 
in God, that He will not forsake him, either now 
or hereafter. If it seems to him as though God 
would forsake him, he must stand firm in hope, 
and trust in God in all that He may see fit to do 
with him, in time and in eternity. See what 
comes of meditating on the Sufferings of God. 
These men bear the pain of suffering according 
to their power ; and it is to such an end that the 
man comes, who first simply turns with all his 
thoughts to the Sufferings and Life of Christ, so 
that at last he will even come to choose bitter- 
ness. God grant that we also may find this 
precious pearl, and that it may bring us to all the 
goodness of God. Amen. 


SERMON XXIX 


On THE Feast or THE Twetve AposTLes 


On the life of men who serve God, and desire to 
please Him in Perfect Love. How it comes to pass 
that so few men are really spiritual. 


Si diligitis me, mandata mea servate. 


f IF ye love Me, keep My commandments.’? ! 

St John tells us in his Gospel, and also 

proves to us, that as our dear Lord had loved 
1 John xiv. 15. 


248 THE INNER WAY 


His own that were in the world, so He loved 
them unto the very end, giving them many proofs 
of His consoling love, which He showed to 
them, especially in word and deed, at the Last 
Supper, of which He so earnestly desired to 
partake with them. He exhorted them also to 
that love which they justly owed to Him; and 
because they could only truly show it by keeping 
His commandments, He would pray to His 
Heavenly Father to send and give them another 
Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, Who would 
abide with them for ever, and Whom the world 
could not receive because it hath neither seen 
Him (Jesus) nor known Him. 

Therefore, dear children, I will once more 
speak of love, because it is always most sweet 
and pleasant to speak of it; but much sweeter 
is it to taste and experience it. Now God com- 
mands all those who are dear to Him, to show 
their love to Him by keeping His commandments : 
therefore he who openly breaks them, or does 
not keep them, cannot love Him. It is plain to 
all that God hates those who live in sin; there- 
fore I will not say any more about them; but I 
will speak, as well as I can, of the life of those 
who serve God in the highest love. 

Those who wish to love God must keep His 
commandments; that is, they must be ready to 
do the Will of God, and to have no will of 
their own; but must be able to say in truth, 
“Not: my will but Thine be done.”?! God’s 
Will is true love ; and true love’has no love for 

1 Luke xxii. 42. 


THE TWELVE APOSTLES 249 


self, but loves self only for the sake of those 
who are loved. Three things are needed for 
this. First, we must diligently keep guard over 
our outer senses, so that we may learn to close 
and to keep careful watch over the gates of our 
five senses, resisting all irregular desires, over- 
coming them at once, always watching them . 
closely, and never giving way to them. 

The second thing we have to do is to learn 
to die to all inner delights, our own ways and 
modes of living, not consenting to them in any 
way, and especially guarding ourselves against 
these five spiritual gates of hell: our own ‘free 
will or love, satisfaction or presumption, our own 
spiritual delights, our own judgment, and our 
own wisdom. 

Thirdly, a loving soul must have. its daily 
work and discipline towards God and towards 
self, that it may offer itself, out of pure love, as 
a living sacrifice unto God, in perfect fear, before 
all men. This takes place in such marvellous 
love; that it cannot well be expressed in words ; 
but we ought rather to try it and to taste it, for 
it surpasses all the powers of nature and sense. 
For the soul overflows with the freedom of the 
spirit with which it is endowed, and goes to the 
Heavenly Father, and unites itself with Him, as 
far as it can, by the absolute annihilation of self, 
to His high and blessed praise. It yields itself 
wholly to Him, in a fathomless Nothingness, in 
the Abyss of His Godhead, and beseeches Him 
to make it fruitful in His service; and, as He 
has loved and chosen it from all eternity, that 


250 THE INNER WAY 


He will bring to pass in it, and in all creatures, © 
that for which He has created them, according © 
to His most precious and sweet Will, whatever it 
may be, without any self-choosing. Thus the 
soul desires to be an example and pattern of 
righteousness and mercy, if so it pleases Him, and 
not that it should earn condemnation by its 
works. It therefore lifts itself up in prayer to 
God for strength to carry out His Blessed Will. 
From the Father it goes to the Eternal 
Wisdom, and yields itself up in true simplicity, 
ready to be nothing, to know nothing, to see 
nothing, to taste nothing of self, but that all it 
does, or leaves undone, may be to His praise 
and in accordance with His dear Will. It 
beseeches Him to perfect in it and in all 
creatures, according to His Divine Wisdom, 
all that He sees right and is most praiseworthy 
in His sight and is the most fruitful for all men. 
It does not regard self, but is content with all 
things in true simplicity, and waits for the work- 
ing of God. It believes and expects, nothing 
doubting, that He will do it, hoping that all 
comes from God. Then, whatever happens 
to the soul to the praise of God, it accepts as 
from the Hand of God. It neither strives to 
prove or experience anything, but simply does 
all that it believes to be His Will; not sure of it 
but believing it. If the soul were to follow its 
own ideas, things might often seem opposed to 
its integrity ; but it must not do thus, but must 
rest in faith and in perfect confidence on God. 
Thus God is exalted in it according to His 


THE TWELVE APOSTLES 251 


Wisdom, and its understanding is abased. This 
discipline is also cherished and used by the 
loving soul in small and insignificant things. 
Thus it is purified by the Wisdom of God in 
true simplicity, and comes thus to the inscrutable 
Divinity in the Darkness of His Obscurity, 
wherein He is exalted and incomprehensible 
to all creatures. For He is a pure Being, to 
Whom the created powers of man cannot attain, 
though they may be united with Him by faith, 
hope and love. 

Now, when all this has been completed, the 
loving soul goes to the Holy Ghost, Which 
proceeds both from the Father and the Son, 
and submits itself to Him, uniting itself so com- 
pletely with Him, that it is exalted above all 
created things, and rises above faith, hope and 
love in God. It is united with this love, far 
above all gifts in the Abyss of His Uncreatedness, 
so deeply and so closely, that but few created 
beings can attain to it by the understanding. 
For the union and the freedom which exist are 
incomprehensible to all creatures; and thus man 
attains a little of the Humanity of Christ, if we 
may so speak, and is not ashamed, but has 
fellowship and union with Christ; so that, when 
he desires to ask anything of the Father, he 
takes Christ with him to pray the Father. This 
takes place especially in the Blessed Sacrament ; 
and thus they offer themselves together to the 
Eternal Father, in the same power and fruitful- 
ness of the Holy Church, in which Christ offered 
Himself upon the Cross, saying: ‘Into Thy 


252 THE INNER WAY ;," 


Hands I commend My Spirit.””1_ Then the man 


says again in diffident love: “O Lord, be — 


merciful unto me, as Thy Father was merciful 
unto Thee, and help me to pray that the Will 
of the Holy Trinity may be done in me, 
according to the measure of my miserable imper- 
fections, as perfectly as it was done in Thee ; and 
let me be one with Thee in the fear of the Holy 
Church. O Lord, Thou hast suffered once, 
and hast redeemed the world; Thou canst not 
therefore suffer any more; but I desire to suffer 
in Thy place. Therefore spare me not, as Thy 
Father spared Thee not; for my heart is ready 
for all that may seem good to Thee in time and 
in eternity. O Lord, Thou knowest how I can 
most praiseworthily thank Thee and: be helpful 
to all men. Therefore, O Lord, ‘command 
Thou me.’ Thus we trust all to God, that 
all shall be to the glory of God; but, before 
his soul is able to offer itself up, it must travel 
by many an unknown, painful and desert way. 
God comes to those who have passed along 
these two ways, and leads in the loving soul 
Himself and instructs it in the third way:of 
love; and thus it becomes truly united with 
God; of which something has already been 
said. Alas! alas! that so few men are truly 
spiritual. This arises from the fact that men 
will not walk in this way and others like it, and 
therefore they are not fruitful before all men. 
A man ‘who wished thus to deyote himself to 
the commands of love ought to be more fruitful 
1 Luke xxiii. 46. 


THE TWELVE APOSTLES 253 


and more useful than ten other men who also 
wished to serve God, but in unguarded outbursts 
of impatience ; not in simplicity, but in outward 
active service; not in contemplative love, as has 
been said. 

It is thus that men come from the sleep of 
darkness into the True Light. For now fresh 
grace is offered to us; and, if we do not lay 
hold of it, it will flee from us and vanish away, 
how we shall not know. Therefore let us all 
unite in calling upon God for real simplicity and 
humility, that from the bottom of our hearts we 
may humble and despise ourselves, and that 
we may look upon ourselves as the most 
despised, the most rejected and the most un- 
worthy of men to be found in this world; so 
that all who see us will shake their heads at us 
and mock us, and we are so unworthy that all 
creatures will lift themselves up against us. 
Thus we may truly learn to die to our own 
wills, and also learn to keep ourselves free from 
self, both outwardly and inwardly, and learn 
further to offer up ourselyes to the glory of 
God, doing the Will of God, not drawing back 
again, or choosing for ourselves, either in time or 
eternity. That we may do thus, not to please 
ourselves, but from the desire to be well-pleasing 
unto God, as I have attempted to show, may 
God grant. Amen. 


254 THE INNER WAY — 


SERMON XXX 


On tHe Feast oF Martyrs 


Of the two kinds of suffering; in a dying and 
spiritual life, in true resignation, How God points 
out the way to His Friends, and teaches them to be 
truly resigned, in the highest sense ; after the Example 
set them by Christ the Lord, Who has tasted this cup. 
Not only the twelve Apostles and Martyrs have, like 
Him, drunk of this cup, but all truly resigned men, 
of whom the Church of Christ sings: ‘* They have 
drunk the cup of the Lord and have become the 
Friends of God.” 


Calicem Domini biberunt, et amici Dei facti 
sunt, 


“THEY have drunk of the Lord’s chalice 
and have become the Friends of God.” 

We celebrate to-day the Feast of the Holy - 
Martyrs, whom God, the Heavenly Father, has 
vouchsafed to endow with the especial honour of 
being formed in the Likeness of His Only-begotten 
Son, by the bitterness and pain of the precious 
and beautiful cup of which they have drunk, like 
the Son of God; which means that they have 
willingly suffered martyrdom for the confession 
of His Name. It is their peculiar honour that, 
by grace, they have been able to attain to the 
dignity to which He was exalted by the Cup of 
bitter suffering, and by the Death which He 
suffered for us and for all men. Therefore, we 
sing of those fearless knights and dearest Friends 


1Responsory in 3rd Nocturn, Commune Apostolorum. 


FEAST OF MARTYRS 255 


of God, that they have drunk the cup of tne 
Lord, and have become the Friends of God. 

Now mark, dear children, that, when we 
speak of martyrs there are two kinds of 
martyrdom. Martyrs outwardly by the sword, 
and martyrs inwardly by dying love. We read 
of St Martin, that he was not robbed of the 
honour of a martyr, although he was not taken 
hence by the sword. Now, ye must notice here 
that we can experience the Suffering of God, 
and test it, by worthy contrition in a dying life ; 
and can thus become the Friends of God. He 
who desires this must submit to suffering—but 
suffering takes place in two ways. 

The first kind of suffering, in a dying life, 
is external, when men struggle against their 
pleasure-loving, sinful life; of whom St Paul 
says: “* They that are Christ’s have crucified 
their flesh ; with the vices and concupiscences.”’ 4 

The second kind of suffering consists of 
spiritual perplexity, barrenness, or the depriva- 
tion of visible grace. Here man is often most 
at a loss, and he is thus sometimes driven to 
turn all the more to God. Then some men 
think all is lost, if they do not possess wisdom, 
understanding and keen insight ; if they are not 
greatly tempted and are not full of fervour. It 
is true that this is all very necessary for the 
beginner, but not for those who long for the 
noblest virtue, love ; but it is accounted of little 
value by the others. It is true, indeed, that it 
is a good preparation for the next stage; but 

1Gal. v. 24, 


256 THE INNER WAY 


in itself it is of little value. Very few can be 
found who truly love. All want to follow 
Christ in sweetness; and, when they can taste 
nothing sweet, and are drawn on by wounded 
love, they will not follow God in any other 
way. Now, when God sees that by sweetness 
only, and in no other way, can He lead them, 
He entices them on by wounded love, and then 
by imprisoned love, so that they cannot escape 
Him. After this they come to burning love, 
and they become so strong that all things 
comfort them, and they are ready, for the glory 
of God, to cast themselves into any suffering or 
sorrow, which God may see fit to inflict on them. 
Then they offer themselves up in the secret 
Abyss of the’ Godhead, and. say in full con- 
fidence: “OQ Lord, if Thou wilt preserve or 
condemn us; Thou art all powerful, Thy Will be 
done in us.’? Now, when a man arrives at this, 
he has gained that which he sought; and it is 
the same to God, by which road he has arrived 
at it, and in what way. 

God fréely pours forth His gifts, that He 
may draw all souls unto Himself; and supplies 
us so bountifully with His Grace that we may 
offer up our souls to Him, in true resignation, 
without any hesitation or demur. Now when, 
as we have said before, God gives great grace 
to a soul, and tempts it with sweetness, He 
desires to draw it away from self... When this 
has taken place, and He has then drawn the soul 
away from sweetness to barrenness, He then 
places it in a higher grade.) For He will take 


FEAST OF MARTYRS 257 


away from it again all that He ever gave it, and 
allows the man to be poor and distressed, so that 
he may begin to learn to be resigned, and to rest 
in nothing save in God only. 

There are two ways by which we may attain 
to the true Love of God: The first is delight in 
the Grace of God. It is pleasant to man to 
carry out good practices; and God allows it, so 
that casual lusts may be all the more speedily 
extinguished in him. The man is ready to sell 
himself for love; that is, he feels such keen 
contempt for all temporal pleasures, which he no 
longer heeds because of his great love, that all 
who see him marvel. Thus we read of many 
Saints, that they so speedily withdrew from the 
joys of the world and all its delights, and turned 
their backs on all so bravely, that all men 
wondered. This is done undoubtedly by the 
Holy Ghost, in His mighty Love, which is as 
strong as death. 

The second way is by endurance and suffering ; 
and, as we have already said, in this way man is 
robbed of all spiritual comfort. It is thus that 
the spiritual strength of martyrs is brought forth 
in the barrenness and dryness of their meditations 
and fervour ; and, although these spiritual martyrs 
are filled with many sorrows, yet they love God 
and long for true virtue as much as the others. 
Such men are much troubled in this life, so that 
they do not know which way to turn because of 
their affliction. They rest, however, on faith, 
hope and love, alone, in great darkness; for 
they will not sin whatever befalls them, because 


R 


258 THE INNER WAY 


at all times they bear about with them a clean 
and humble heart ; while they are much afflicted 
by seeing the grace enjoyed by other men, always 
imagining that it is their own fault that they have 
not the same grace, and that they do not strive 
enough to gain it. However, when they seek 
it more diligently, they only become more and 
more barren and hard within, like stone, and 
sometimes they lose all patience, and become all 
the more inconsolable and miserable. Then they 
fear that they are jealous of the grace given to 
others, or envy them; and thus they add to 
their sufferings, so that, with all these troubles 
or others like them, they weary themselves so 
much that they do not know what todo. They 
would not willingly be faithless to God in virtue, 
while they do not know how to gain it; or they 
imagine that they will make God angry with 
their impatience, despair or moroseness ; and it 
cuts them to the heart. They hate all sin, 
because sin is displeasing and abhorrent to God ; 
and they know this so well that they would not 
willingly anger God. At last they make up 
their minds to be patient, although it is hard to 
them ; and they suffer and wait till God sends 
relief, for they see that they can make no pro- 
gress. Thus God teaches them to be resigned 
and to submit, leaving all things in His Hands ; 
and thus they become like unto the others, who 
flourish in more grace; while in one sense they 
are much nobler; for, in this grade, men are 
more like Christ, whose Life was full of suffering. 

These spiritual martyrs are the poorest in their 


FEAST OF MARTYRS 259 


own esteem, but, in the sight of God, they are 
the richest ; according to their own ideas they 
are the farthest off from God, and yet they are 
the nearest. ‘hey imagine that of all they are 
the castaways, and yet they are the very elect. 
According to their own feelings they are the 
most unfaithful to God; though they are the 
most faithful and the most earnest in furthering 
His glory, and in preventing His dishonour ; for 
it is for this that they suffer. They find that 
they are attacked by many temptations on account 
of their poverty, to which they will not consent ; 
but these cause them greater suffering than dying 
a natural death, and, especially if in any way, as 
they imagine, they have been overcome. ‘They 
are anxious to overcome their infirmities, and to 
practise virtue, and they cannot do it. This and 
such-like things cause them, at times, great inner 
suffering and trouble, as though they were 
suffering the pains of hell; but all is the result 
of the great faithfulness and love that they bear 
to God in their hearts, though they are not 
conscious of it themselves. They think them- 
selves of all men the most wicked in all the 
world, while they are the purest in the sight of 
God. They often anger God thereby, because 
they cause themselves so much sorrow, so that 
God sometimes allows them to fall into impatience, 
and other infirmities, which are not in accordance 
with pure love, and to which they would never 
have given way, had they been truly resigned in 
all things; for then they would have been at 
peace and would have advanced more quickly 


260 THE INNER WAY 


than other men. They thus rob themselves by 
their despondency and immoderate sadness. This 
arises from their knowledge of the real fruit which 
proceeds from thence or from their self-surrender, 
so that they are not content to suffer; or it 
seems too long for them to suffer to the end; 
but they should know that they only prolong 
their suffering and make it all the harder. Thus 
they also rob themselves of the real fruit which 
might be quickly produced, if only they would 
suffer innocently and willingly, and resign them- 
selves in love. ‘The more simply they do this, 
the more nobly will they gain it, and the more 
nobly will they be transformed. For, verily, 
if man walks uprightly, after the dark night a 
bright light will arise, which will lighten up all 
his heart with Eternal Truth. Then in his own 
heart, and in the sight of God, but not in the 
sight of the world, he will be sure that he can 
attain to the highest and purest Love, in which 
a man loses and forsakes himself, and all that 
is his, for the sake of God, and becomes so 
united in love with God, that none can disturb 
or destroy his peace. God rests in him with 
all His elect, and there will and anger are lost. 
God help us that all this may take place in us. 

Further, we must remember this about salva- 
tion: ‘O, my soul, meditate and meditate, again 
and again, how great and inexpressible the joy, 
the blessedness, the glory and the honour will be 
of those who will see clearly, and face to face 
the joyful and loving Face of God. How they 
will enjoy the best and highest blessing, even 


FEAST OF MARTYRS 261 


God Himself; for in Him, and in Him alone, 
are all pleasures, power, joy and all that is most 
beautiful.” They will possess all in God; all 
that is good and to be desired, in safety and 
eternal joy, so that they will be transformed 
into God, never to be separated from Him again. 
Oh! how surpassingly great the joy will be, with 
which they will see the Holy Trinity, Mary, the 
Mother of Christ; our dear Lord, all the hosts 
of Angels in their orders; all the Patriarchs and 
Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors and 
Virgins, with all the Saints, who are so united, 
that, were it possible, the foremost and greatest 
Saint in heaven would willingly share his joy 
with the least of all Saints, while the least of all 
the Saints would not grudge him the joy that he 
shares with his own. Neither can we imagine 
or describe the overwhelming Love of God, which 
will be kindled in them: Oh! how foolish 
those men are, who, for a little carnal delight, 
and for temporal goods and honour, can so far 
forget, lose and drive away eternal salvation. 
Therefore, recollect thyself, O my soul, earnestly 
and diligently, while thy day of grace is not yet 
over; do good works, that thou mayest not lose 
thy eternal salvation. Set to work, lose no 
time to perfect thyself in virtue; let nothing 
disconcert thee, but work faithfully in this short 
life to attain eternal blessings and eternal joy. 
Nothing in this world should be so dear to 
thee that for the sake of it thou wouldest be 
ready to lose eternal glory and joy. Thou must 
mark diligently how all suffering, sorrow, adversity 


262 THE INNER WAY 


and misery in this world, are not to be compared 
with the joy of eternal life. In imagination thou 
must place before thee, as thine example, all the 
dear Saints who have entered in, because of 
their good and righteous lives, that thou mayest 
follow them, and that with them thou mayest be 
a partaker of the exceeding great reward. Oh 
my soul, meditate on the great honour, joy and 
dignity in the Heavenly City of Jerusalem, on all 
the dear Saints who are assembled there, and 
who found a safe path by which they passed 
over from this transient vale of sorrow to eternal 
life. 

Further, the Lord tells us in the Gospel that 
there are five things which faithful men must 
do. First, they must cast out the Devil in the 
Name of Jesus; all men can do this who con- 
fess their sins with true penitence and sorrow. 
Secondly, they must speak with new tongues. 
All do this who give up sinful useless talk, and 
who only use good words, such as are to be 
found in the Word of God, the Holy Gospels 
and in fervent prayers; who rebuke sinners and 
teach the foolish. The third is that they tread 
on serpents without being harmed. ‘This is done 
by those who resist and diligently root out all evil 
thoughts. The fourth sign is that they can 
eat and drink poison without harm. This is 
done by all who suffer contempt and persecution 
for righteousness’ sake. Those who are sorrowful 
and despised, and yet are patient, cannot be hurt 
by the poison of persecution. The fifth and last 
sign is, that the truly faithful lay their hands on 


A MARTYR’S DAY 263 


the sick and they recover. All men do this, 
who from loving-kindness freely forgive their 
enemies all that they ever wrought against them, 
and who also give alms to the poor and needy. 
We may truly say of all men who show these five 
signs of the Holy Gospel, that they are truly 
faithful men and will be received by Christ into 
eternal life. May God help us all thereto. 
Amen. 


SERMON XXXI 
On a Hoty Marryr’s Day 


Of three roots of spiritual temptation by which 
holy men are secretly assailed ; spiritual unchastity, 
covetousness and pride. 


Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem. 


“DLESSED is the man that endureth 


temptation.”” ! 


All our life, says Job, so long as we are 
upon earth, is full of struggle and temptation, 
insomuch that this life is not called a life by the 
Saints, but a temptation. When one temptation 
is Over, straightway others are awaiting us; and 
the cause is that our Lord will have us to go and 
bring forth fruit ; and the fruit is to walk in the 
ways of God and go forward ; for the fruit con- 
sists in the very overcoming of temptation, from 
which we may draw out a hidden spiritual sweet- 
ness, as the bees suck honey from the thorn 
bushes as well as from all other flowers. He 


1 James i. 12. 


264 THE INNER WAY 


who has not yet been tempted knows nothing, 2 


nor lives as yet, say the wise man Solomon and 
the holy teacher St Bernard. We find more 
than a thousand testimonies in Scripture to the 
great profit of temptation; for it is the special 
sign of the Love of God towards a man for him 
to be tempted and yet kept from falling; for 
thus.he must and shall of a certainty receive the 
crown, like the Martyr whose death the Christian 
Church commemorates this day, singing of him 
that he is blessed because he hath endured 
temptation, and has been tried and proved 
therein, that he might receive the Crown of 
Life, which the Lord has promised to them that 
love Him. 

Now observe, dear children, that there are two 
kinds of temptation. The one is carnal, and has 
its sphere in the kingdom of sense in this present 
life, as when a man is tempted through his out- 
ward senses to seek his happiness in other men, 
be they friends or relations or any others, or to 
undue fondness for the outward show of life, such 
as dress, jewels, books, instruments, a pleasant 
abode, and other transitoiy creatures; and wilfully 
cleaves thereunto with manifold affections, and 
they stick to him like burrs. At times our 
outward senses are left in peace, and are quit 
of all assaults ; yet is the man strangely assaulted 
inwardly in his flesh and blood by unseemly 
thoughts; but, however impure may be these 
temptations, and however horrible they may look, 
they cannot of themselves defile a man’s purity. 
St Gregory says: ‘* Temptations do not defile a 


‘ 


A MARTYR’S DAY 265 


man except through his own slackness and want 
of diligence in turning aside from them.” 

The other sort of temptation is inward and 
spiritual, and has its seat in the realm of the 
intellect. The workings of the Spirit and of 
nature are so mingled together and interwoven 
as long as we are in this present life, that all our 
inward exercises and converse with God are 
carried on at the same time with all the motions 
and workings of nature. Moreover, our Lord 
has so ordained it for our good, that the evil 
angel, Satan, has power to transform himself 
before the inward eye of the mind into an angel 
of light; and he does it most of all at those 
times when a man gathers up all his powers to 
enter into communion with God. Observe, dear 
children, that St John divides sin into three kinds, 
when he says all that is of the world is “ the lust 
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the 
pride of life.”’ As these three sins that reign in 
the world exist together in the flesh, so do they 
also reign inwardly in the mind under a spiritual 
guide. Outward sins are very clear and easy to 
see, if a man have a mind to watch himself; but 
these mental sins are in many ways more covert, 
and can put on such a good face that we are 
often hardly aware of the grievous fall that is 
close at hand. 

Now mark, it is to be counted as spiritual 
unchastity or wantonness, when a man seeks him- 
self too much, and with eager desire strives after 
warmth and sensible devoutness, to the end that 
he may always be in a state of contentment, and 


266 THE INNER WAY 


none may have a right to reprove him, though he 
shall give himself to his own special prayers and 
religious exercises, while leaving unfulfilled the 
work that is his duty. When such an one has 
none of these sweet emotions, he is quite troubled, 
and becomes peevish and very impatient in the 
trifling mishaps that befall him, though they are 
really of no importance whatever ; and when he 
cannot obtain joy or inward peace according to 
his desire, he complains of the great grievances 
and temptations which he has to endure. St 
Bernard says, that our Lord bestows these graces 
of sensible emotion upon such as have done 
nothing to deserve them nor are worthy of 
them; but He does this in mercy, that He may 
draw such to His love; and He withholds these 
gifts from some who have undergone long and 
painful exercises, and were well fit to receive 
them; yea, from some He withholds them all 
their life long; but He will give them a great 
recompense for it in the next life. The reason 
of His thus withholding sensible delight is, that 
our spiritual fruitfulness and highest blessedness 
do not lie therein, but in our inward trusting and 
clinging to God, in our not seeking ourselves 
either in sorrow or joy, but through joy and 
sorrow devoting ourselves to God, and, like poor 
unworthy servants, offering ourselves to Him at 
our own costs, though we should have to serve 
Him thus for ever. Yet it may indeed be 
permitted to a young weak Christian, at the 
outset of his course, to pray for such graces 
or gifts from our good God, in order to be 


A MARTYR'’S DAY 267 


able to glorify Him with the greater activity, 
and to be grounded the more firmly to His 
love. But when we desire such inward fervours 
and sweet peace (which are His gifts and not 
our deserts) more for their own sake than for 
the Giver Himself, we fall into spiritual wanton- 
ness and black disloyalty, which our good God 
has not deserved at our hands, with His utter 
renunciation of Himself outwardly and inwardly. 

Spiritual covetousness is when a man is always 
coveting to have more than bare necessaries, 
while pursuing this earthly pilgrimage. For 
what more should a pilgrim take with him by 
’ the way, than such things as are needful to 
sustain him till he come safely to his home? 
Believe me, it is a great blemish in true outward 
poverty to desire aught beyond necessaries ; so 
likewise, it is a still greater blemish in the 
inward poverty of the spirit. Ah! who has 
ever been so poor as He, Who, in utter poorness 
of spirit stood forsaken by Heaven and by the 
creatures, cast out alone in utter exile, when 
He sent forth that bitter cry: “My God, My 
God! why hast Thou forsaken Me?”’? And 
this was all that He might be an Ensample unto 
us, to comfort our poverty and bereavement by 
teaching us true submission. I hear thee saying : 
‘Yes, if it were not my own fault, and if I had 
not failed to receive the blessing through my own 
heedlessness, or thrown it away by mine own 
guilty folly, I could bear it all the better ; what 
should I then have to mourn over? But 
now it is all my own doing; I have brought 


268 THE INNER WAY 


the mischief upon myself.”? I answer, do not 
let this lead thee astray; dost thou not know 
how that it is written: “The just man falleth 
seven times, and riseth up again; ”’ and dost 
thou think to stand always? Yes, I assert and 
confess with thee that it is thine own fault, that 
thou hast brought it upon thyself and well 
deserved it; yet, nevertheless, it is better that 
thou shouldst with firm trust pray our kind God 
for His peace (Who knows thy weakness, and 
is ready to forgive thy trespasses seventy times 
seven in a day), than that thou shouldst thus 
drive thyself back in thy course with such faint- 
heartedness. O child, hast thou fallen? arise, 
and go with childlike trust to thy Father, like 
the prodigal son, and humbly say with heart and 
mouth: ‘ Father, I have sinned against Heaven 
and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be 
called Thy son, make me as one of Thy hired 
servants.”” And what will thy Heavenly Father 
do, but what that father did in the parable? 
Assuredly He will not change His Essence, 
which is Love, for the sake of thy misdoings. 
Is it not His own precious treasure, and a small 
thing with Him, to forgive thee thy trespasses, 
if thou believe in Him? for His Hand is not 
shortened that it cannot make thee fit to be saved. 
Therefore, beware of spiritual covetousness, for 
the poorer thou art in thine own eyes when thou 
comest to Him, the more acceptable art thou in 
His sight, and the more richly He will endow 
thee and clothe thee out of His treasures. 
Spiritual pride is when a man is not willing 


A MARTYR’S DAY 269 


to be put to shame in his own eyes on account 
of his transgressions, but is ever trying to excuse 
and gloss over his faults, and is ever willing to 
spare himself, even in small matters. And this 
often leads people to make many useless and 
wrong speeches in order to excuse themselves 
and to justify themselves in every respect ; as much 
as to say, “I am not the man to be accused of 
this and that’; and they are unwilling to re- 
member or consider that he who cannot clear 
himself with the simple truth, will not be helped 
by the untruths by which he often adds to his 
guilt; and that a man who humbles himself 
before God is more in His eyes than an arrogant, 
self-righteous man, who deems himself able to 
answer for all his deeds with his own righteous- 
ness. Hearken, dear child, what does all our 
righteousness come to at last? Esaias saith: 
“All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; ” 
and, however great our righteousness is or might 
become, yet, if the Lord should sit in judgment 
on us, without doubt we should have to confess 
ourselves His debtors, and place all our hopes in 
His mercy. Our Lord often disciplines a man 
by his own failings, if he is humble under them 
and throws himself at God’s Feet; for God will 
haye every knee to bend before Him, and will 
have the praise and glory of all goodness. 
Hence we may observe that there is often a 
secret pride within us, from which many un- 
seemly points do grow. But he who gives 
diligence to beware of spiritual wantonness, 
covetousness and pride, shall be kept from 


270 THE INNER WAY 


straying out of God’s ways, or falling into error 
in his inward exercises. 

But, in order to keep yourselves from these 
sins, and to withstand this kind of temptation, you 
must observe these rules of which I will tell you. 
The first is: None of the inward difficulties that 
rise up from within, or the adverse circumstances 
that stay our hands from working, by which we 
are drawn or pressed into the likeness and con- 
formity to the humble Image of Christ and His 
Saints (not alone outwardly, but that of their 
inward condition), can be the work either of 
evil spirits or of nature, but without a doubt 
come from God. For He is the Highest Good, 
and from the Highest Good nought but what is 
good can flow; and all the goodness that God 
gives us of His stores, and that we render back 
again to Him, has proceeded from Him as its 
Source ; just as all streams flow back again to 
their source, the ocean, whence they have 
arisen ; and all things do rejoice in their return. 
But all that draws us and leads us aside from 
such conformity and likeness, proceeds without 
doubt from the Spirit of Evil, who is ever on the 
watch to disturb and draw us down ; as our Lord 
said: ‘He who is not with Me is against Me, 
and he who gathereth not with Me scattereth.” 
This rule is against the first spiritual vice, that 
of wantonness. 

The second rule is: Whatever befalls a man 
inwardly, whereby he is brought to a closer and 
more sensible gathering up of all his affections 
and impulses in singleness of heart into a stead- 


A MARTYR’S DAY 271 


fast trust in and love of the Father’s loving- 
kindness, and not his own works and ex- 
periences; this is from God. And he who at 
all times sees himself to be a poor beggar, 
however fair his works may seem, the more 
narrowly he looks into his own heart, and the 
more mastery he gains over himself, the more 
does he discover his own nakedness of all virtue. 
He becomes aware in himself that he is nothing 
but an empty worthless vessel, fitted, not unto 
honour but unto eternal destruction, which vessel 
God alone must and will fill with His grace. 
When we cling to Him, suffer Him to have 
access to our spirits, and do not defend our- 
selves with ourselves, that work is no doubt of 
God, by which a man is driven into himself to 
learn his own poverty. But the suggestions of 
the Enemy and of nature rob and despoil a man 
of all the benefits of his virtues; and this is the 
case wherever a man does not know his own 
real state, and thinks to possess what he never 
had, and says (as it is written): “I am rich 
and increased with goods, and have need of 
nothing,” and knows not that he is “ wretched 
and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” 
This is the rule against spiritual covetousness. 
The third rule is: Whatever befalls a man 
by which he is lessened and humbled in his own 
inmost emotions, and which makes him bend 
under the Almighty Hand of God, under all 
creatures, abasing and annihilating ee in true 
humility; this comes no doubt from God. 
For as Lucifer and his followers desired to be 


272 THE INNER WAY 


great and lofty, and were therefore thrust down 
from Heaven, so are we led back again to Heaven ~ 
by self-abasement ; as it is said of the Kings of 
the East, that they travelled back into their own 
land again by another way. 

Thus does every being do and teach according 
to that which is his essence, drawing into his 
own likeness all whom there are to draw, so far 
as in him lies. ‘The Evil Spirit is puffed up in 
his own obstinate conceit, and in the loftiness of 
his pride is so hardened and unbending in his 
own stiff-necked will and purpose, that neither 
to win Heaven nor for anything else will he 
humble himself for one moment, so fixed is he 
in his evil mind. So likewise is it with all 
the proud, who have learnt of him to trust in 
their own understandings, above all other men’s 
opinion and reason; wherefore they fall into 
strife and variance with their neighbours, which 
begets much trouble and disquiet of heart; and 
hence arise many breaches of brotherly love. 
They will take reproof from none, and grow so 
hardened in their own obstinate, evil will, and 
set upon their purposes, that they rashly dare to 
withstand all the admonitions of God and His 
Friends ; as the Jewish scribes and priests with- 
stood our Blessed Lord; and of such the 
prophet Esaias, speaking in the person of Christ, 
complains: ‘‘I have spread out my hands all 
the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh 
in a way that was not good, after their own 
thoughts.” 

But our blessed Lord, on the contrary, is 


A MARTYR’S DAY 273 


meek and humble; yea, He is Himself the essence 
of humility, whereunto He is unceasingly drawing 
all men whom there are to draw, and who are 
willing to be drawn. His Being is the cause, 
the essence and the origin of all things. He is 
the Life of the living, the Resurrection of the 
dead, the Restorer of all deformity and unfitness, 
and of those who have corrupted and despoiled 
themselves through sin. He calleth back those 
who have fallen away and have wandered from 
His fold. He raiseth up and confirmeth those 
who are in temptation. He is the Bulwark of 
those who stand, the Awakener and Guide 
of all who are looking and striving upwards 
towards Him, the Source of all light, the Lamp 
of all who walk in light, the Revealer of 
mysteries, in so far as it is fitting for us to 
know, and the Beginning of all beginnings. His 
Essence is incomprehensible, unspeakable and 
without a name. Therefore should we honour 
and glorify His unspeakable Mystery with holy 
reverence and silence, and nevermore covet to 
fathom or to taste aught except in so far as is 
to His honour and to our profit; but ever, with 
fit reverence and devoutness, turn with all our 
might in shamefaced awe to contemplate the 
radiance of His bright and spotless Mirror. It 
behoves man to be ever in fear, and to bethink 
him of the word that God, our Lord, spake by 
the mouth of Moses: “If a man or a beast 
touch the mountain, he shall be stoned ”’ ; which 
signifies that our animal senses must not presume 
to climb the Mount of the Divine Essence, but 
s 


‘ 


274 THE INNER WAY 


must rather keep themselves below and take the 
nearest place, until the time come when it shall 
be said unto the man: ‘Friend, come up 
higher.”” And then he shall. not go up of 
himself, but he shall suffer himself to be led 
upwards ; and his sensual nature shall be purified 
and endowed with the Light of God, whereby he 
shall receive more light than he could ever win 
by all his great and strenuous labour. For the 
Divine Nature of Christ is a magnet that draws 
unto itself all spirits and hearts that bear its 
likeness, and daily unites them to itself through 
love. 

Now Richard of St Victor says: “I receive 
Christ not alone on the Cross, but also in His 
Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. But I may 
not receive Him there except I find James, Peter 
and John, Moses and Elias with Him, who bear 
witness to me that it is truly Christ.” That is 
to say: in all our distresses, in all our painful 
inward destitution, we may boldly believe that 
Christ is present with us; but, if He appears to 
us on the mount of inward contemplation, we 
need these witnesses, that we may not enjoy the 
fruition of His gifts in a wanton spirit, for the 
satisfaction of our own desires, nor too ardently 
covet more of His good gifts than we can put to 
a good use; but may ever abase ourselves so 
thoroughly that we fall not into any spiritual 
pride. ‘These are the true witnesses, that we 
may freely receive Christ in His Glory on the 
heights of Mount Tabor, without hindrance: or 
error ; for where these witnesses are of a truth, 


A HOLY BISHOP 275 


there we cannot be deceived by the spirit of 
falsehood. May Almighty God help us so to 
do! Amen. 


SERMON XXXII 


On tHE Feast or A Hoty Bisuop 


How man should exalt and honour God’s Holy 
Name alone, and despise, shun and flee from his own 
in true humility and real resignation. That young 
men, growing in grace, must first be directed thereto, 
and then be drawn by all kinds of easy exercises 
and rebukes, that they may become still more re- 
signed in all things hereafter. 


In nomine meo exaltabitur cornu ejus. 


o IN My Name shall his horn be exalted.’’! 
You know, dear children, that no sins are 
so displeasing to the God of Gods, as the 
haughty arrogance and the proud boasting of 
man in his own name; because man is thus 
ascribing the honour to himself, which belongs 
only to God, while he cannot bear his own 
name to be despised. God lent him that name 
and the honour, that other men might be im- 
proved by seeing such a dignitary or prelate, 
using his authority or rule solely to the Glory 
of God, neither seeking nor desiring his own, 
everywhere. ‘This we can recognise and see 
plainly in the holy life, which the Bishop, whose 
feast we are keeping to-day, led on earth; and 
therefore we sing of him from the Psalter: 


1 Psalm Ixxxviii. 25. 


276 THE INNER WAY 


“In My Name shall his honour be exalted ”’ ; 1 
as though God said of him: “ Not in his name, 
because he neither seeks nor desires that, but in 
My Name shall his horn be exalted and lifted 


up.” 2 

Now, in another place, the prophet says of 
God: ‘ His Name alone is exalted.”’3  No- 
thing is more displeasing or abhorrent to God 
than the longing for a great name. This in- 
firmity, in many men, is often so much hidden 
and concealed that they are scarcely conscious of 
the great danger in which they stand. It often 
comes to pass that they even despise it, and 
imagine that they have a right that people should 
hold them in high esteem; they cannot endure 
that anyone should say anything or do anything 
that affects or touches their honour, or slights 
them in any way. David says of such secret 
sins:. ‘From my secret sins cleanse me, O 
Lord’ 4 that means, cleanse me from the desire 
to have a great name. He says also: “Let 
not the foot of (that is the desire and longing 
for) pride come to me, let not the hand move 
me. There the workers of iniquity have fallen.” ° 
I say unto thee, unless thou givest up this name, 
God will not regard anything of thine, however 
good it may be. St Chrysostom says: ‘ For- 
sake thy great name and then thou wilt easily 
overcome torture and suffering.”’ If by some 
means God could induce man to feel as great, 


; 
4 
; 
1 
; 


1 Psalm Ixxv. 12. 2 Psalm Ixxxviii.25. 
3 Psalm cxlviii. 13. 4 Psalm xviii. 13. 
5 Psalm xxxv. 12, 13. 


A’ HOLY BISHOP = 277 


bitter and ignominious a contempt for himself, as 
the haughty, self-satisfied pride in which he had 
previously indulged, God would have obtained 
that which He desired; for all the things by 
which God corrects men inwardly take place 
that man may be humbled and abased in him- 
self. If God does not succeed in bringing this 
to pass by such correction and abasement, He 
often allows these, His Friends, to fall into open 
shame and trouble, that they will be pitied by 
all men and thus be abased in their own eyes. 
Now, know, that when a man is too highly 
exalted by other men, and more virtue or holi- 
ness is ascribed to him, and his name is held in 
greater repute than it ought in truth to be in 
the sight of God, on account of some secret sin 
which is known only to him and to God; see, 
this great and good repute can only cause him 
injury, shame and pain, either here or in another 
world. For this undeserved spiritual gift of 
honour offered to him, must necessarily be 
changed in this life into shame and mockery, if 
he is to preserve it otherwise in eternity. If a 
man neither glories in his good name, nor is 
well-pleased with himself (for if he be, it will 
be very harmful to him, and will avenge itself 
on him), his name will be very useful, and a 
blessing and help to him ; for then it is pure and 
beneficial. Even though he have a great name, 
_ he may be preserved by the Grace of God, in 
fear and humility, while he acknowledges his 
- own vileness, weakness and sinfulness. If he 
_ thinks nothing of himself on account of all these 


278 THE INNER WAY 


virtues, but only that he is a messenger and an 
unworthy servant and guardian of these gifts of 
God, then he looks upon himself as no better or 
worthier than he was before, but carries on his 
office simply to the glory of God and of the 
Holy Church, and that he may advance the 
salvation of his fellow-men. See, how very 
fruitful this is in the sight of God, and what 
great blessings it brings to other men.’| Even 
when he is called great before worldly men, yet 
he is none the less nothing in the sight of God ; 
and he feels in his heart, that he is one who 
desires the lowest place and possesses it at all 
times ; and if he were deposed from his position 
or his honours, it would not trouble him, because 
to him all things are alike. 

Dear children, for this reason the great repute 
of the superior clergy is very dangerous, and 
should be shunned or at least despised; because, 


when a man does not live up to that which he 


is anxious to be considered, and glories or 


rejoices unworthily in his name and honour, 
hereafter, either here or in another world, he 
will have to pay or atone for it with shame and 


sorrow, because his name was greater than his — 


life in the sight of God. 

But when some men are faint-hearted, de- 
sponding at times, on account of their great 
reputation, fearing that their intentions are not 
quite pure, and that they often think more of 
the dignity of their name than of the command 
of obedience, yet, none the less, they ought to 
do good, because at all times men ought to do 


a 


A HOLY BISHOP 279 


good, and even if their intentions are not quite 
pure, yet they ought to strive to amend; and 
then their virtues will become deserving. But, if 
a great name is blazed abroad, and a man does 
good work to please others, or from evil motives, 
then he will become proud and arrogant, and be 
led astray by the desire for praise, so that he 
will neither do nor desire to do anything more, 
unless he is called great ; for in all his works he 
will desire the praise of men, and to be seen of 
them. He thus devotes himself in good earnest 
to show his ecclesiastical ability and his moral 
conduct, chiefly in the presence of other people, 
so that he may be seen of them. He'will do 
nothing unless he can do it far better than all 
others, that he may deserve the prize. 

Now, we can recognise the men who stand in 
this evil ground of man-pleasing, and not in 
faith, hope and the Love of God, by noticing 
that they do not trust in the Love of God; 
they do not believe in Him, and they dare not 
believe that He is the faithful Helper of His 
true servants. Therefore they soon begin to 
doubt and mistrust God, and are in great 
danger of the very worst that can happen to 
them. These people may be discovered by 
telling them to do something for which they 
are unfit or are incapable. They cannot be 
induced to do it, for they fear that other people 
will notice their incapacity or unskilfulness, and 
will therefore think less’ of them, and consider 
them as small as they really are. All the 
Scriptures do not suffice to prove to them the 


280 THE INNER WAY 


great faithfulness of God, which He vouchsafes 
to those who trust in Him, so that they may be 
ready to leave all to God and to trust in Him, 
and, for His sake, to allow their unskilfulness to 
be made manifest. No, ten preachers would not 
be able to prove this to them; and therefore 
they continue in their hard-heartedness and pride, 
and are unable to win any true love from right- 
minded men. If they would only forsake this, 
they might be at once enlightened with a new, 
peculiar, divine and joyful Light, which would 
cause their old wicked sadness to vanish quite 
away, and would gain a satisfying love for them 
from all the men with whom they have to deal 
and with whom they dwell. But, because they 
do not act thus, they must remain in a state of 
bitterness and malice towards their neighbours, 
so that all brotherly love is pain to them, and 
all good and loving deeds torment and trouble 
them. Therefore they are forced to seek for 
solitude, to separate themselves from mankind, 
that they may neither see nor hear anything 
from which trouble or sorrow could arise. They 
also take care not to trouble themselves about 
anyone, and imagine that they will thus attain to 
peace. Now, dear children, this is not the path 
of peace ; for such men have much more unrest, 
and wicked, envious disquiet, malice and con- 
demnation, the more they withdraw themselves 
and keep away from other men, hoping to be at 
peace in secret. For the wicked Enemy dwells 
in these evil, proud hearts, and never allows 
peace to enter there. 


A HOLY BISHOP 281 


But if these men are ever to attain to true 
peace and joy, they must learn to know their 
own hearts, and to cleanse them from all pride 
and self-righteousness; and, in so far as it is 
seemly, to make known their weaknesses, vileness 
and uselessness to others, desiring to be accounted 
vile, useless and weak, exercising themselves 
therein as long and as much as they feel in 
their hearts that they have an evil desire for 
human praise. If they practise this, they will 
attain to true peace and love, and gain a taste 
for and skill in their occupations; but otherwise 
never. If I were to allow them to confess for 
three hours every day, it would not help them at 
all; they would still remain in a state of disquiet 
and sadness, hating their neighbours. The more 
they confessed, the more the Evil Spirit would 
find cause for their anger, hatred, envy, sorrow 
and gloom, in themselves and towards others. 
He even sometimes seeks out things, and brings 
up what was said or done ten, twenty or thirty 
years ago; and, by the thought of them, leads 
such men further astray than he had succeeded 
in doing by the very things themselves. They 
will have to endure this as long as they will not 
acknowledge their weakness, but desire the praise 
of men on account of their outward deeds and 
customs. 

Now, people say that they must set others a 
good example and anger none. I say unto you, 
that if ye wish to set a good example to the 
people with whom ye consort, and to anger 
none, ye must show yourselves to be what ye are 


282 THE INNER WAY 


in truth, and let yourselves be known in truth, 
as far as is needful. Be pure, long-suffering and 
decorous, and, in kindly love, desire to be scorned 
and rejected, and then all will be well with you. 

Oh! children, these men have been neglected 
in their youth; they have never been well disci- 
plined by scorn and much opposition, but they 
have. been allowed, at times, to see how pleased 
people were with what they did or seemed to be. 
Thus they became hardened, so that afterwards 
they could neither do nor wish to do anything 
for which they would not receive praise or fame ; 
while nothing could be got out of them except 
by prayers and entreaties. 

Oh! all this is most evil and pitiful; for 
these are they of whom the Lord says: They 
have received their reward.” ! Those who 
praise them are accounted murderers before God ; 
for they deceive and lead astray foolish men, 
who were good-hearted, inclined to give glory 
to God, and well able to do so, but who become 
hard-hearted, desiring human praise, thinking 
well of themselves and full of self-satisfaction, 
which causes the eternal death of the soul, its 
rejection and banishment from true eternal life 
and from all the Saints. These betrayers act 
thus, that by fame and praise they may bring 
round these foolish hearts to their will, that they 
may become all the more diligent in subduing 
temporal things to themselves, and thus to con- 
trive that all may tend to their own advantage, 
for which they are hoping. 

1 Matti vi. 2. 


A’ HOLY BISHOP 283 


Oh! children, the desire for temporal things 
causes a real alienation from eternal things. If 
we sought first those things that would be useful 
to us in eternity, and which would further our 
salvation, undoubtedly God would not only 
abstain from withdrawing temporal things from 
us, but He would also give them back to us 
with increase. But, as it is, for the sake of a 
small advantage, we lose and betray these simple 
hearts, in the evil desire for human praise and 
our own gratification, which is the evil source 
of pride, and which God always resists. He 
never receives such men into favour, but He 
allows them to be driven by the Evil One into 
all kinds of wickedness; for there is scarcely 
a sin which is so inhuman that they are not 
tempted by it; and all arises from this devilish 
root of inner, proud self-satisfaction, which was 
not checked at first. Therefore, from youth up 
it has taken such deep root, that, in old age, 
it is hard work striving to cast out this infirmity. 

Therefore, simple men who are striving to 
advance, must be well guarded, and instructed 
that they must do nothing in order to gain praise, 
but must do all to the glory of God, Who needeth 
not our praise, but Who humbled Himself; even 
unto Death, to gain for us our salvation. There- 
fore He has given us strength, knowledge, 
prudence, and many other gifts and graces, 
that we may work out our own. salvation. 
Children, it would be far better and more charit- 
able to rebuke these men, and to teach them to 
regard themselves as little or nothing in their 


284. THE INNER WAY 


own eyes, training them in the humility they 
rejected ; for then they might become great and 
holy men. But by praise and fame they are 
spoilt; so that, later; when they are old, and 
we shall be anxious to teach them, they will 
have become so established in this evil, wicked 
state, that no instruction for their good can turn 
them, They think those who do not: praise 
them, hateful ; and they are often discontented 
and insubordinate to their superiors and father 
confessors, and remain in a state of sadness, 
gloom, and false suspicion. They imagine they 
are not sufficiently considered ; no one asks after 
them; and they constantly refer to the great 
deeds that they have done, to their industry 
and so on. ‘They say they have been very 
useful, and they tell this to other people, and 
complain and almost murmur if no one asks 
after them. 

See, dear children, how all this: misery is 
brought upon these foolish people by praise and 
flattery, so that their salvation even is placed 
in great jeopardy. He, who in this life cannot 
bring himself to feel peaceful, friendly, brotherly 
love for his neighbour, and who cannot be truly 
resigned and obedient to his superiors, is in great 
danger of losing eternal salvation. He, who is 
not acting thus, will not be helped by all his 
fastings, vigils, his singing and reading, his 
prostrations, mortification of the flesh, or any- 
thing else, however important it may seem. It 
would be far better and more useful for men to 
set aside all visible and outward works and 


A HOLY BISHOP 285 


discipline, till they had learnt the true and real 
virtues of love and resignation, and had a real 
desire to do all only for the love of God and 
of their neighbours. 

Now, mark further, as soon’ as.a man realises 
that he does not care for a grand name and 
position, but wishes to remain always concealed, 
and longs for humiliation and simplicity, and to 
be cast off and left unnoticed among other men, 
then God will do great things in his name. If 
the man seeks for no honour, and does not desire 
a great name and position, and, when no one 
is willing to show him any honour, he is ready 
to accept it all and desires to take the lowest 
place always, then all will be well with him. 
See, then his great name amongst men is no 
longer harmful to him; but he must learn also 
to conquer himself in this, and be ready to hear 
it, so that he may gain his neighbour. For this 
also is a step in that inner death, that he may be 
able to endure this position, and learn to give 
up his own will even in this. He will most 
certainly find that he is greater in God; and 
God will enlighten him and fill him with Divine 
Light. Thus it will be found that all this is 
quite incomprehensible to the human under- 
standing of those who have not walked in this 
way before. 

But, because it is a great thing to stand upright 
in this way, so also is it very dangerous to fall 
in it and to take pleasure in one’s own name. 
Therefore, every man should flee from it as long 
as he can or may, that he may not be exalted in 


286 THE INNER WAY 


this life; for he whom God calls to it in this 
life, must pass through many a dark way that is 
unknown to him. He rests only in the hope of 
God and in confident faith, and says: “ Lord, I 
will serve Thee ; therefore I trust that there is no 
deception in all that is placed before me in this 
wonderful way, and I will bear it ever.”? At 
times, faith, hope and love fail him, and he is 
only sustained by his intention in all things. At 
times he is still conscious of, and loves in the two 
lowest grades, in nature and in intelligent converse, 
for then love lies quite concealed in the lowest 
grade. For as long as he is still faithful to God 
in some degree in the resignation of nature and 
speech, and is content to be resigned, while he falls 
into no ill-placed ‘comfort in vice or sensuality, 
by which he could rid himself of suffering, all 
will be well. But if he seeks for gratification 
in the things of sense, or gives way to outward 
troubles, even though they be good and religious, 
that he may be freed from the’ pressure, he will 
bind and tear love; and then from time to time 
he will fall away from love, though he does not 
know it himself. But, most) assuredly, if he 
stands firm in this, and is true to God in this 
mysterious resignation, see, he has gained the 
highest stage of love, though he knows it not. 
When he has passed through this, his heart is 
quite freed from self; he brings forth much fruit 
even in the sight of other people, and he finds 
that God is dwelling lovingly in him and he in 
God in all things. 

It would be better for us to try this than to 


A HOLY CONFESSOR 287 


talk about it. He who does not taste it and try 
it, can never understand what it really is to 
possess God in truth. May God help us to 
honour and extol His Name only, and not our 
own, while we truly depreciate ourselves in this 
world in true resignation. Amen. 


SERMON XXXIII 


On tHe Feast of A Hoty Conressor 


That no one should trust to outward deeds done 
in the body, to customs and ceremonies; that is 
religious customs and gestures, in the hope that he 
can reform himself by them alone ; but, that before all 
things, man should use all diligence in learning to 
know the very ground of his heart, and to die to all 
evil inclinations and infirmities. 


Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus. 


"THE light of thy body is thine eye.? 

To-day, dear children, we commemorate 
the memory of N., that holy Servant of God, who, 
by his Christian life, showed forth, confessed and 
spread abroad, the praise and glory of Jesus Christ ; 
not only by the good example and pattern which 
he set by his virtuous life and character, but also 
within ; for his heart, mind and spirit, rested in 
true resignation and in the pure ground of his 
mortified senses, willing always to serve God 
diligently, and to please Him only. This, verily, 
was a truly religious and holy life. 


1 Luke xi. 34. 


288 THE INNER WAY 


Now, ye must notice that there are many, in 
these days, who are called religious and appear 
to be so, but who exert themselves to the utmost 
with wrong things. They submit to severe dis- 
cipline, by means of which they hope, through 
grace, to become different from that which they 
are by nature. They fast, they watch, they pray 
and confess often; they receive the Holy Sacra- 
ment of the Altar, meditating on the highly- 
exalted Sufferings of Christ, they do works of 
mercy, and often seek for absolution; or other 
exercises of that kind, whatever they may be. 
Yet, by means of all this discipline they are not 
changed, they waste their strength and power 
away from God, gaining no praise nor any 
benefit for their souls, but rather bringing them- 
selves down thereby to hell. For they do not look 
into themselves, and do not learn to know their 
own hearts; and, when they ought to be ad- 
vancing, they are losing ground. They think 
much of themselves, and yet they are nothing 
and are serving God heedlessly. ‘They think 
they are seeking God, but they are not; and 
when they thus go on, living carelessly according 
to their undisciplined desires, allowing their 
imagination to be excited by their senses, none 
of their actions can make them any better. The 
older they grow and the longer they live thus, 
the more impatient they will be and unguarded 
against sin in word and deed; and this will be 
the case, too, with those who look for high 
places in the monasteries. This is the result of 
serving God after their own pleasure, and with 


A HOLY CONFESSOR 289 


ill-regulated desires. When they feel inclined 
to do good works, they devote themselves there- 
to, often beyond their power ; at one time they 
will do one thing, at another time another ; and 
then they imagine that the one helps them and 
the other hinders them. Thus they go carelessly 
from one exercise to another, imagining that all 
will be helpful to them inwardly, because all 
gratifies their natural desires; they are well 
pleased; but when they are not satisfied inwardly, 
they imagine that nothing is helpful to them. 
Thus they become inconstant, no discipline 
pleases them for long ; for, however they may 
live, they will never reach their true ground ; 
for, to whatever they may devote themselves in 
such an unskilful way, and however good their 
intentions may be, they will yet be deceived, 
although they allow themselves to imagine that 
God only is in all their thoughts. Who is 
there who wishes to serve the Evil Spirit? 
This is surely desired by none. It is not our 
wish; we will not have him for our master; 
and yet we do his will. For, as long as we 
serve God only in outward works, we have 
not begun to serve Him really in truth and 
with real devotion; for the right foundation of 
a perfect Christian life does not consist only 
of external works, though they are a help, 
but much more of good work in the heart, 
by which sin is avoided and virtue brought 
forth. 

Again, I say, ye may find men in monasteries, 
who keep the strict rules of their Order by 


B 


290 THE INNER WAY 


external deeds done in the body. There are 
men, too, in the world, who torment their bodies 
by watchings, fastings and other kinds of dis- 
cipline; who give alms with open hands, but 
who do not keep the ground of their hearts, 
cleansing it from all sin. While they are doing 
all these great external works, they are angry, 
envious and proud. They slander their neigh- 
bours while they strive to gain a good report for 
themselves ; and they do other such-like things, 
which show that they are in the bonds of the 
Evil Spirit. These men deceive themselves one 
with another. They imagine that they will be 
justified and saved by their outward works only ; 
but this will never be the case in eternity. Such 
men may well be compared to images, which 
look like gold outside, but which are stone or 
wood within. Our Lord compares them in the 
Gospel to the sepulchres of the dead, which are 
beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead 
men’s bones. Therefore, I say: It is of no 
use for a man to fast, to pray and to do other 
religious works, unless his mind is cleansed and 
purified from all wickedness. It is seldom, alas, 
that man lives uprightly; and yet it is not so 
impossible, if he would only use a little care. 
That on which everything depends he will not 
attend to, while he hopes to obtain great blessed- 
ness from that on which nothing depends; so he 
has great difficulty and hard work, and seeks 
long for God, and yet seldom finds Him aright, 
and as He ought to be found. ‘These are the 
sins which cause men so often to fail ; they strive 


A HOLY CONFESSOR 291 


after impossibilities ; and that which they might 
do, and which no one could hinder them from 
doing, that they will not do; for they have 
neither love nor liking for it, while they would 
gladly have that which is impossible. They set 
themselves to do that which they like or fancy, 
with uncontrolled love and desire, following the 
guidance of the outer man, and saying they act 
thus, because they do not know what they ought 
to do or to leave undone. They might soon find 
out, why they spoke thus, if they would only 
strive to walk uprightly in the way of truth and 
righteousness. It does not arise from anything 
that they do not know; for then their consciences 
would not punish them for any neglect; they 
would be doing right, as far as they knew, whether 
it were much or little, and God would not require 
anything more of them; for, if He did, He would 
give them more knowledge. 

Lastly, give heed to this, dear children. A 
man, who by grace desires to be other than he 
is by nature, must strive after that spirituality, 
which contains within itself the righteousness 
which must be the portion of every Christian 
man ; for true righteousness demands true devotion. 
Now what is true devotion? Some _ people 
imagine that true devotion consists of sweet 
longings; and at times it may, but not always ; 
for sometimes men naturally experience such 
sweetness, and thus many men err and are 
deceived. ‘True devotion is a willing submission 
to the service of God; and a truly spiritual 
man will carefully examine his own heart, and 


292 THE INNER WAY 


search out all his thoughts, words and works, 
and all his life, learning thus to know his own 
faults. He can scarcely fail to discover some- 
thing, whatever it may be; and if he desires to 
be freed from his fault, he must learn to ac- 
knowledge it; then follows repentance for the 
fault that he has acknowledged. Man must 
search diligently in order to find out how he 
can best free himself from his old life, 
destroy all vice in himself, and devote himself 
earnestly to the keeping of God’s commands. 
These are not ordered alike for the clergy and 
for simple laymen; but more is required of the 
clergy than of the laity, and they must also be 
more strict. They must also take their part in 
ordinary life with the Holy Christian Church, 
and according to the observance of their Order 
or religious life. These things are more 
necessary than any amount of severe discipline 
and hardship, in fastings, vigils, labours, and so 
on, which are all like a sign-post pointing to 
progress in spirituality, but which are not in 
themselves true and real religion. Many men 
may, indeed, be found who exercise themselves 
therein, but who are, nevertheless, full of evil, 
self-willed, disobedient, proud, angry, and so 
on. God grant that we may all give ourselves 
to true devotion. Amen. 


A HOLY VIRGIN 293 


SERMON XXXIV 
On tHe Feast oF a Hoty Vircin 


How wise and prudent virgins should adorn them- 
selves, both outwardly and inwardly, that they may 
be received at the Eternal Marriage of Christ and 
may enter in. Of the noble and precious virtue of 
true and lowly Love, to which we can attain only by 
resignation, suffering and love. 


Quinque ex eis erant fatue, et quinque prudentes. 


ss Fv E of them were foolish and five wise.”” } 

Our dear Lord likens the Kingdom of 
Heaven to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and 
went forth to meet the bridegroom and the 
bride. Five of them were foolish and five 
were wise. They are very unlike each other ; 
for the foolish live after the flesh, in the world 
and in temptation. The wise look upon all 
these things, and live after the spirit. The wise 
virgins control themselves in all things, to which 
the foolish give no heed, both outwardly and 
inwardly. 

There are five things which are necessary 
to all for the control of the outer man, if they 
desire to be like the five wise virgins. The 
first is moderation in eating and drinking, in 
clothes, in vigils, in fasting, and in all the other 
things that nature needs, and that must be 
partaken of to supply the needs of nature, but 
not for the furtherance of sin. The second is 
simplicity in all things. They should wear 


1 Matt. xxv. 2. 


294 THE INNER WAY 


rough, plain clothes ; be simple in their coming 
and going; firm and simple in their behaviour ; 
and modest in all things. 


Thirdly, they should avoid all foolish com- : 


pany, especially the company of those who 
speak vain words, and who are scrupulous about 
many things. 

Fourthly, they must live by the labour of 
their own hands, and must not be idle, even 
though they be rich; for idleness is the door 
to all uncleanness. : 

Fifthly, they must be industrious and always 
at work. They must keep control over their 
senses and all their members, keeping aloof and 
turning away from all the temptations that may 
befall them, but which they must earnestly 
withstand, and to which they must never consent. 
There is nothing that will help them better in 
this, than making known their temptations, 
humbly and fully, to some holy man, taking 
counsel with him, and submitting themselves 
earnestly and discreetly to bodily penance, with 
fervent prayer to God. All men are accounted 
foolish virgins before God, who do not thus 
govern the outer man. 

Now, it becomes wise virgins to adorn them- 
selves in the inner man. ‘The foundation of this 
is lowliness of mind, for they are to become the 
Sisters of God by doing the Will of God; 
therefore they must not condemn others by 
saying that those who live in wedlock are 
wicked. They must not desire to please any 
one by their spiritual virtues, but God only ; 


| 
; 


A HOLY VIRGIN 295 


otherwise they will be like unto the Pharisees. 
They are not commanded to keep their virginity. 
but they are commanded to be humble. A proud 
virgin, in the sight of God, is a thousand times 
worse and more impure than a humble married 
woman. A virgin does not hate any one, but 
must love all people; she must not think much 
of self, but she must always keep herself in fear 
and trembling. When sins begin to grow and 
give pleasure, love and all other virtues grow 
cold. A virgin can only follow the Lamb of 
God in all places whithersoever He goeth, if she 
is truly pure and humble; for, if she is spotted 
by pride or any other gross sin, religious married 
people stand far above her. 

Virginity has its origin in God Himself. The 
Angels haye learnt it from God ; for it is found 
in Heaven, and will remain there for ever, after 
the Judgment Day. When these virgins have 
risen again from the dead, they will not be 
given in marriage, but will be like unto the 
Angels of God and eternally united with God. 
They are loosed from all men, and are united 
only with God, that they may bring forth eternal 
fruit. They have great power over the Devil; 
they alone sing the new song that no one else 
can sing. God has set His Throne in these 
daughters who have thus been trained. It is a 
joy to Him to be with them, if they live 
after the inner man in humility, chastity and re- 
signation, and with hearts subdued to the Love 
of God. 

No one can attain to the Love of God without 


296 THE INNER WAY 


humility ; and that is a gift of God above all 
temporal gifts. Humility brings true peace to 
the heart of man; for no one is quarrelsome or 
sinful, but he who lacks peace. If a man were 
truly humble he would never sin again. Mary 
could not sin because she was truly humble; 
and wherever God finds humility, there he does 
great things. Augustine says: ‘ The lowliest 
on earth is also the holiest.” 

These are the marks of a humble man. He 
always learns first to know himself, and ac- 
knowledges himself unworthy of all gifts. He 
counts himself unworthy to have been thought of 
by God, and to have been made a man. He 
confesses that he is unworthy that God should 
constantly feed and preserve him, therefore he 
thanks God unceasingly, and in great humility, 
for all these gifts. He neither exalts, nor extols, 
nor praises himself in anything, whatever it may 
be ; but acknowledges that he is ever more and 
more indebted to God for all his gifts, while in 
all things God is his first and last thought. No 
wise virgin will have two aims or intentions in 
anything, so as to be thinking of God and 
also of something temporal at the same time ; 
but that which she loves as well as God, must 
be a help to her, and be ordained to the Glory 
of God, under God; and it must be a help to 
her in coming to God. See, this is a wise 
virgin and none else. Man must love God 
more than all His messengers whom He sends 
forth and whom we call His gifts. 

A wise virgin thinks no more of herself on 


A HOLY VIRGIN 297 


account of her gifts, than of what she was before 
she was born. Whatever may be the gifts given 
her by God, He gives Himself to her with them, 
for here especially He is unhindered by man, 
and therefore He can work as He will. ‘There- 
fore God perfects her in the very best way ; 
God, of His Goodness, cannot help doing this, 
when He finds that she is faithful to Him, and 
that she gives Him a dwelling-place, suffers 
Him, follows Him and works with Him with- 
out any self-love. A humble man thinks bim- 
self unworthy to fill the place he is in, and, with 
whomsoever he may be, he always takes the 
lowest place; he desires the most miserable part 
of everything, even in necessary things. He 
complains to no one of his suffering; neither 
does he complain to God, even of his suffering or 
of anything ; but, in fear and trembling, when the 
suffering is very great, he takes all things as 
from the Hand of God. Therefore he does not 
know how to complain of any creatures, how- 
ever unworthily they may treat him. Neither 
does he find fault with any one who does him 
harm, for he takes all things as from God, and 
as therefore right; for God does not inflict 
anything upon any one that is not for his good. 
Thus these virgins live and die without offence. 
Mark, this is the shortest way to come to 
God and to the company of the wise virgins; 
and they who do not take it are among the 
number of the foolish virgins, although they do 
not believe it. All who desire, truly, to be in 
God, must be foolish in their own sight and in 


298 THE INNER WAY 


the sight of other people; for he who desires 
to save his soul must lose and forsake vain- 
glory in this life; and he who desires to attain 
to true and humble love must learn to hold fast 
three things—resignation, suffering and love. 
He who would learn resignation must not only 
forsake great sins, both outwardly and inwardly, 
but also, in inner spiritual things, he must not 
seek to please himself by his own good things, 
such as fasting, watching, praying, reading, 
thinking, or by consolation, sweetness, experi- 
ence, knowledge, hunger and desire for reward 
after the Holy Sacrament. He must be self- 
controlled in exaltation, in visions, in contempla- 
tion, and so on. Then he ought to think that 
there is not a more miserable, unpleasing, cold 
and careless man than himself, and yet he must 
not consciously omit anything, or seek for freedom 
from any of his duties. See, a man thus becomes 
nothing in himself; for his self-will, wisdom, 
good opinion of self, and self=pleasing and en- 
joyment in good works are all lost. The more 
thoroughly this takes place, the truer it is; and 
this casting down of self brings him to God ; 
for God is an Abyss of humility; and in deep 
humility his soul lays hold on God, and God 
unites Himself with his soul. Therefore this 
man is transformed in God, and is just as though 
he had become another man. ‘This is the work 
of the Holy Ghost, Who indwells and governs 
him. 

The second point is suffering; and in order 
to be humble, ye must suffer all scoffing patiently 


A HOLY VIRGIN 2.99 


and calmly, as far as ye can, both in love and 
scorn, with others, or in opposition, equally or 
unequally. Ye must endure contempt, disparage- 
ment, and such-like, in gain or in loss, outwardly 
or inwardly, as it may happen, and whoever may 
cause it. ‘Though, at times, it may seem to you, 
as far as ye can judge, that it is neither the best 
nor the worst course, or that according to your 
ideas it may hinder your virtue or salvation, yet 
suffer simply and willingly as well as ye can. 
Trust in God; and, though ye do not under- 
stand why all things have happened, yet bear all 
patiently ; and then ye will bring forth the fruits 
of humility. Your own good opinion of self and 
your wisdom will wither away, and all things will 
happen to you for the best, if ye will only endure. 
And, though at times it may seem to you that ye 
will be injured thereby, both in the temporal and 
spiritual things that ye have undertaken yourselves, 
yet by this humble and enduring resignation ye 
will be a hundred times further advanced in God 
in real and true virtue. 

The third point is love, which waits on 
humility ; for love is nowhere so nobly exercised 
as in patient suffering. ‘Though it is true that 
by love man may rise so high that he can 
embrace God by union of will, yet it is true that 
God descends to the resigned and suffering man 
with all that He is; and there He is embraced 
by the loving soul, and He embraces it again 
and absorbs it into Himself. Thus the soul 
loses itself, and returns again to the Source from 
whence it came, and knows assuredly here, even 


300 THE INNER WAY 


in this life, as far as it is possible, that hereafter 
it will enjoy Him for ever. He, whose portion 
this is, needs real humility, that he may learn to 
see God here also, as far as it is permitted. 

Then, three things are necessary. First, 
man’s intentions must be pure and clear; he 
must desire nothing else but God only; love 
nothing else but God only; seeking only to 
please and love Him aright. See, such as these 
have a true vision in this life. 

The second thing is, that those who desire to 
see the blessings of God, must be ready to bear 
all and endure all in love; they must humble 
themselves from the very bottom of their hearts ; 
they must not exalt themselves, however much 
God may reveal to them, and however secret 
these things may be. 

The third thing is earnestness and diligence 
in spiritual exercises, that man may lift up his 
soul to God, in whatever way or whatever form 
is most pleasing and helpful to him, either in 
dwelling in the Humanity of God, His Divinity, 
or the Holy Trinity ; the Hidden Life of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, or of our dear Lady, or of 
other Saints, and how they led their daily lives ; 
for every syllable of Holy Scripture has a divine 
meaning which can be drawn from it. If a man 
does these three things, he ought to be able to 
obtain from God all that he needs—if his 
intentions are pure, and he is ready to suffer 
and endure in love and humility, and is earnest 
in his religious exercises. A good disposition, a 
strong head, and a yielding, subtle mind are very 


CHURCH DEDICATION 301 


helpful. A man who can succeed in this, and 
who receives grace from God, will make great 
progress in his spiritual life. 

All virtue and all virtuous deeds depend on 
these six points. The first is true humility; the 
second patient suffering ; the third perfect resigna- 
tion in all things ; the fourth real love; the fifth 
a divine intention in all things ; the sixth earnest- 
ness in religious exercises. That thus we may 
all be wise virgins, may God help us. Amen. 


SERMON XXXV 
At tHE DepicaTion oF a CHURCH 
Tue First Sermon 


Points to a renewal of the outer and inner man, 
and shows how man must deny himself and die to all 
to which he cleaves and is attached by nature; and 
how God will then make His Dwelling-place in him. 
A Parable of the three kinds of Wings on which God 
flies and hovers over us; and of the Withered Fig-tree, 
which all men must climb. who wish to see God in 
the most noble way, both in time and in Eternity. 


In domu tua oportet me manere. 


. ‘THs day I must abide in thy house.”’ ? 
Dear children, this is the consecration-day 
of this House of God; and all the ceremonial of the 
Holy Christian Church directs us all, spiritually, 
to the inner man, in whom, verily, consecration 
and a true godly reconciliation should always find 
place. Therefore this outward ceremonial should 
call and admonish us to prepare ourselves in 


lLuke xix. 5. 


3o2 THE INNER WAY 


sincerity and truth, that God may truly and 
perfectly take up His abode with us. The con- 
secration of a church means much the same as a 
renewal ; and this renewal ought always to be 
taking place in the inner man. The man who 
truly receives it must renounce’ all his natural 
tendencies, and repress and give up all to whom 
he may cleave, whether friends or relations. All 
must be given up, whatever it may be, that comes 
to him naturally from without, and also all in 
which nature finds joy, comfort or delight, in 
thought, word, or deed. Bodily discipline is 
also helpful and good, such as fasting and 
watching, if man’s nature is able to bear it. 
But this I say unto you, the wickedness of our 
nature is so concealed, and is always seeking its 
own so secretly, that we often take pleasure, in 
that which we imagine we are only doing because 
it is absolutely necessary. Therefore man must 
always seek most diligently to be master of his 
outer animal nature. He must do this with the 
utmost diligence, though it is very hard to nature 
to die to all excessive delight in eating and 
drinking, in seeing and hearing, in coming and 
going, in words and works. I say unto you that 
if all these animal pleasures were verily killed in 
us, in all their excesses, we should be as sweet- 
smelling incense unto God, as it is written: 
“‘ We are the good odour of Christ.””1 When 
all these natural hindrances are quite done away, 
then that which is written in the Psalter takes 
place in man: * Who makest the clouds thy 
12 Cor. aij: 


CHURCH DEDICATION 303 


chariot ; who walkest upon the wings of the 
wind.” 1 This means, that when man has quite 
killed all earthly desires in himself, then the 
Eternal God makes His abode in him. What 
then do we find written of the three kinds of 
wings on which our Lord walks? The first is 
on the wings of a dove; the second on eagle’s 
wings; the third on the wings of the wind. 

The wings of a dove are those upright men, 
who walk in holy innocence, without any gall, 
bitterness, jealousy, or intercourse with other men; 
therefore these simple-minded men are quiet, 
gentle and good, and follow the meek and gentle 
Lamb, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, our 
Lord. Therefore our Lord is with them in all 
their ascents, in their desires, their love and their 
intentions. Secondly, our Lord walks on the 
-wings of the eagle; for the eagle flies so high 
that none can see him. The eagle is the pure 
man, formed in the Image of God, who flies up 
with all his strength, both outwardly and in- 
wardly, to the secret places of God. When 
man strives with all his might and main, in the 
inner and outer man, he flies up so high in know- 
ledge and love, that no merely human sensual 
power can attain to him. Our dear Lord also 
soars on these noble wings. Thirdly, our Lord 
walks on the wings of the wind; for the wind 
is so swift and fast that ye know not whence it 
cometh nor whither it goeth. Children, this wind 
is the most interior and sublime man, moulded 
and formed in the Image of God. This pure 


1Ps, ciii. 3. 


304 THE INNER WAY 


man is so far above all knowledge, that all man’s 
reason and all his works cannot attain nor reach 
up to Him, because He is so far above the mind 
of man.. This interior God-man, formed in the 
Image of God, flies back to His Divine Source 
and to His first condition before the Creation; 
and there the pure spirit becomes the Light of 
Lights. "To some extent all other lights are 
extinguished in this Light, for all natural and all 
imparted light that ever lighted man becomes 
darkness. The sun obscures the light of all the 
stars in heaven when it is shining most brightly ; 
and so, when the Divine Light shines into the 
depths of the soul, it obscures all the created 
lights that have ever shone in man. ‘Then the 
Spirit, which is in the Form of God, shines so 
brightly into man’s soul, that He is like dark- 
ness unto the spirit into which He shines, from 
the excessive brightness of the Divine Light. 
For the understanding of all creatures, as com- 
pared with this Divine Light, is like the eyes 
of swallows compared with the pure, bright sun- 
shine. For, if thou desirest, with weak eyes, 
to gaze on the disk of the sun, the sun will seem 
like darkness to thy gaze because of the sur- 
passing brightness of the sun, and also because 
of the weakness of thine eyes. Therefore a 
heathen teacher has said: ‘* After other lights 
God seems like darkness to the soul, because we 
acknowledge Him in the ignorance of our minds.” 
It is a great disgrace to us Christian men, that a 
heathen should have understood this! What are 
we poor men about ? 


CHURCH DEDICATION 305 


We read about consecration in the Gospel 
account of Zacharias (Zacchaeus). He would 
gladly have seen our Lord, only he was too 
little of stature. But what did he do? He 
climbed up a barren fig-tree. This is what a 
devout man does who desires to see Him, Who 
has done all these wonders in him; but he is 
too short and too small. What must he do 
then? He must climb up into the high and 
barren fig-tree; and that is all that is written 
for us. It is a constant dying to the outward 
parts of man’s nature, and living wholly in the 
inner man, in which God the Lord walks, as 
ye have already heard.. Therefore this is looked 
upon as the greatest folly by the wise men of the 
world; and it even comes to pass that famous 
priests may be found who have two hundred 
florins worth of books, and are so pleased with 
them, that they read them most diligently ; and 
yet these wise men of the world imagine that the 
life and being of these whole men is nothing but 
mockery and folly. No, I say unto you, the 
life of these good men is a noble and blessed 
folly; for they are the chosen of our merciful 
God, as the Eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ 
has said: “I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord 
of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these 
things from the wise and prudent, and hast re- 
vealed them to little ones.”’ ! 

Amongst many other things, these secret 
hidden things were revealed to St Hildegarde ; 
and therefore two little pictures were painted in 

1 Matt. xi. 25. 
uU 


306 THE INNER WAY 


her book. One figure is clad in a blue dress ; 
and it has no eyes; but its blue dress is full of 
eyes, which signify the holy fear of God. This 
is not the fear that ye call fear, but it is that 
uncertain, diligent examination of self, which the 
noble, pure spirit of the man, formed in the 
Image of God, should carry on in all places, and 
in all his ways, words and deeds. ‘Therefore this 
noble image, formed like unto God, is without 
a face and without eyes; for it wholly forgets 
itself, and knows not whether it is loved or 
hated, praised or blamed. Then it has no hands ; 
for it stands there bare and empty of all kinds of 
delight, in true and humble resignation. 

The other image, placed by the side of this 
one, is in a light dress and has uplifted hands ; 
both are barefoot. This image has no head; 
and the Godhead, in pure bright gold, is above 
this image. It has no face; all is pure gold; 
and this signifies the unknown pure Godhead, 
which is poured forth over the image in the 
place of the head; for the pure Godhead is its 
head. This picture signifies poverty of spirit. 
The head of this picture is God Himself; and 
the whiteness of the clothing signifies innocency 
of conduct, insusceptibility, and pure bare re- 
signation. These figures are both barefoot ; and 
this signifies an absolute imitation of the true 
likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. The blue 
dress signifies constancy ; which means that man 
must not discipline himself to-day and sleep to- 
morrow; but that he must persevere unto the 
end, and with outstretched hands be ready 


CHURCH DEDICATION 307 


always to do the Will of God in working and 
suffering.! 

I say unto you, this is the withered fig-tree 
that all men must climb who wish to serve God, 
both in time and eternity, in the noblest way. 
For our Lord said to Zacchaeus: ‘* Make haste 
and come down, for of all that thou hast thou 
mayest keep nothing, but thou must return again 
empty and bare into thine own nothingness ; 
which means that thou must do nothing and be 
nothing; and then God will come into thine 
own house, and this must needs be.””? When, 
however, thou hast got up into the fig-tree, and 
Eternal Truth has enlightened thee in some 
measure, but thou hast not yet quite laid hold 
of it, nor it of thee, because thou still cleavest 
to something, then nature and the Grace of God 
are still contending within thee; and thou hast 
not yet attained to real and true resignation. 
Therefore, learn, that whatever nature does has 
always some flaws, and is therefore not quite 
perfect and pure, so that human nature in the 
man in the tree cries unto God; this is absolute 
self-surrender, and a constant casting off of 
nature, in all the ways in which man still clings 
to some possession of self. For hodie, which 
means “to-day,” God must needs enter into 
thy house. Children, to-day salvation is come 
to this noble and holy house of God. That it 


1These pictures can scarcely have been taken from 
any other Codex but the smaller one, now in the Ducal 
Library at Wiesbaden. It was brought from the 
monastery at Eybingen, where St Hildegarde lived. 


308 THE INNER WAY 


may also come to us, may the eternal and blessed 
God grant. Amen. 


SERMON XXXVI 
At THE Denpication oF a CHurRcH 


Tue Seconp SERMON 


How the inner man may become a pure and 
holy House of Prayer. Of the tradesfolk, that is the 
wicked thoughts and infirmities, which carry on 
their business in this temple, and which may, per- 
adventure, be of great use and service to man. What 
Prayer and Meditation are ; also, of the three things 
by which man can enter into the Inner Kingdom: 
true Faith, a right Confession of God, and inner 
fervent Prayer. 


Domus mea, domus orationis vocabitur: 


‘“ Y house shall be called the house of 
prayer.” } 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of 
God has faithfully taught us here, what we 
must do that our hearts may be clean and pure 
houses of prayer; for man is really and truly a 
Holy Temple of God. But all traders must 
first be driven out of this Temple of God; that 
is all the fancies and imaginations which are not 
really of God; and also all delight in the 
creature and in our own will; therefore this 
temple must first be cleansed with tears of 
repentance and the Love of God, that it may 
be made clean and pure. For all temples are 


1 Matt. xvi. 13. 


CHURCH DEDICATION 309 


not made holy by being simply called the houses 
of God; but God only can make them holy. 
Therefore this Temple of God is a pure clean 
heart ; and it is truly a Temple of God, where 
the Eternal God ever dwelleth in truth, when all 
that is unlike Him has been driven out and cast 
forth. Therefore I say unto you that God will 
not take up His abode in a temple which has 
not thus been cleared. Before a man has one 
pure thought of God in his heart, a thousand 
other thoughts enter in, about temporal things, 
which lead astray these pure thoughts of God 
and drive them away. It is in this sense 
that tradesfolk are referred to, and that we are 
told what they are. Therefore all men, who, of 
their own free will, live in pleasure, and in the 
gratification of the creature, are these traders. 
There is no doubt that the man, who desires 
that God Himself should dwell in him with 
His grace, and work His works in him, must 
especially, and of necessity, avoid all conformity 
to things that produce love, gratification and 
delight in the creature, and of which God is not 
the true Source. Therefore the man who says 
that ten chances of evil would not be more 
harmful than one; that is, that the secret love 
and friendship of ten men would be no more 
harmful to him than of one, would be saying a 
foolish thing ; for it is easier to overcome and 
drive out one thing than ten. But there is one 
thing, especially, that ye ought to know; ten 
sins which a man looks upon as sins and confesses, 
are not so serious or so harmful to him as one 


310 THE INNER WAY 


single sin, of which he makes no account and 
does not look upon as sin, and in which he 
wickedly continues. Therefore man should 
always have a truly humble fear before God 
the Lord, on account of his unknown sins, and 
should humbly crave the mercy and goodness of 
God, and look upon himself as full of sin at all 
times; and then he will assuredly be helped 
by God’s lovingkindness and grace. But the 
man who excuses himself, and goes on sinning 
deliberately, is in great danger of never coming 
to the Truth. Therefore guard yourselves from 
this as from eternal death; for the man who 
always thinks that all is right and well with him, 
is in a dangerous and terrible state.» If ye were 
to ask the holiest man on earth if he had wept 
as much as he ought, he would say: ‘No, I 
have not wept a thousandth part of the tears that 
I ought to have wept. But I will now really 
begin to weep because of my sins and infirmities.” 

Now, when the inner temple of man has been 
cleansed, and the traders have been driven out, 
that is, when thou hast driven out all that belongs 
to the creature with all its delights, and which 
thou hast formerly possessed with comfort, joy 
and pleasure; and if thou art not ready of thy 
own free will to take all back again, nor to 
possess it with pleasure; then thou art standing 
firm in truth and righteousness, and the traders 
have been driven out of thy temple. 

But when wicked traders come into thy temple 
again, drive them out at once. If they remain 
there for a time, against thy will and without 


CHURCH DEDICATION | 311 


thy permission, know, that it will not harm thee 
at all in the sight of God. For, if they stay 
there as long as they like, yet they will have to 
go out again, by the same door by which they 
entered. And, yet again, if they find any wicked- 
ness there, they will have to take it away with 
them, and purify this noble temple, if they entered 
in against man’s will and without his permission. 
It cannot harm him, but it purifies, cleanses and 
prepares him for our Lord, like fine gold, which, 
the more it is heated by fire, the more precious 
and the purer it becomes. ‘Thus it happens to 
- the noble man in the reaction after his sufferings, 
his temptations and the assaults made upon him ; 
for the impurer, the more wicked and the more 
terrible they are, the better will he be cleansed 
and purified. ‘That which takes place in op- 
position to man’s will can never cause sin unto 
death, but it prepares man for the great reward 
and enjoyment of eternal life. St Paul says: 
‘«¢ For he that striveth is not crowned except he 
strive lawfully.”’1 He that endureth to the 
end shall be received with glory and honour. I 
say unto you, children, that anything done against 
my own free will, however wicked and impure 
it may be, cannot stain me, but will rather cleanse 
and purify me, and prepare me for our Lord 
and for especial grace. Therefore be of good 
courage, joyful, and not sad and gloomy, if, at 
times, wicked unclean thoughts befall you; how- 
ever bad they may be, heed them not. For, 
if at come to you, in spite of your will and 
12 Tim. ii. 5. 


312 THE INNER WAY 


desire, let them go again. And if this happens 
especially in your prayers to God and communion 
with Him, leave them alone in the name of God, 
and bear these attacks and all this impurity right 
joyfully, humbly and resignedly as the Will of 
God. Know, children, that ye should bear all 
this humbly as the Will of God; for it may even 
happen that some things may be made known 
and revealed to you therein, which ye would 
never have known, had ye not. passed along this 
way. But in this reaction and suffering man 
must not strive to help himself, either with words 
or deeds, but must rest only in God. He must 
bear all with a good heart, and must not trouble 
about it, either outwardly or inwardly. For, 
when it pleases our Heavenly Father, He can 
assuredly relieve thee and delight thee a thousand- 
fold with Himself, after all these painful tempta- 
tions. Therefore suffer cheerfully; do all things 
simply and in truth; and then, whatever comes, 
do not strive to help thyself. He who strives 
too much to help himself will assuredly lack 
help from God and from truth ; for to the good 
man all things come from God without anything 
of his own, or a striving after his own salvation. 

Now, dear children, if the inner mind of man 
is to be God’s holy House of Prayer, devotion 
must form part of prayer. What is devotion? 
It is devotio, that is, se vovere Deo, that is, 
inner communion with God and a longing after 
Eternity. When thou thus unitest. thyself with 
God, or praisest Him, thou art devout; that is 
that wherever thou art, or whatever thou doest, 


CHURCH DEDICATION 313 


thou must set thy thoughts on God Whose works 
they are. For it is not very terrible if thou art 
not always rejoicing and enjoying sweet inter- 
course, (for this is only as God pleases), so 
long as thou still hast the essence of devotion. 
This consists of the inner self-surrender, union 
and communion of man with God; this is 
higher and of more importance than all other 
works. 

Saint Hilary writes of three things by which 
man must enter into the Inner Kingdom. The 
first is true faith; the second is a right con- 
fession of God; and the third is devout and 
fervent prayer. 

Now, what is the faith meant here? for all 
Christians are not faithful. In the same way 
that there are many dead men in the church- 
yard, there are many and very different kinds of 
men, who seemed to be men who had living 
faith, and who yet in truth did not die, and are 
not dead in God. Now what is a pure and 
living faith? It is nothing less than a living 
desire for God, which springs forth from within, 
to God the Lord and to all that is of faith. 
Thus, when a man sees or hears of anything 
that pertains to the holy faith, either of the 
Eternal Godhead or the noble Manhood of our 
Lord, or of the highly-exalted, noble and 
glorious Trinity of God, he will find within 
himself a true and living faith there, which 
clearly points out to him what God is, and at 
the same time makes everything plainer to him 
than it could be made by any teachers. Such a 


314. THE INNER WAY 


man lives and moves in the Inner Kingdom, 
where life verily wells up from its own spring. 
Now, unhappily, there are many men who 
cling, it is true, to the life of faith, but who 
may be troubled and may lose sight of it bya 
very small and insignificant cloud. It is just as 
though the light of the stars were a living and 
moving thing, which vanished away when'a 
cloud passed over. Thus, in the same way, 
the cloud of sins may be very small and 
insignificant, which drives out of man the true 
light of faith, hiding it and depriving him of it. 
But, when a cloud of sins passes even over the 
chosen people of God (for all men are sinful), 
the Eternal and Divine Sun will force His way 
through to the lives of these men, so that they 
will speedily and immediately turn again to their 
original Source. Because they are rooted in the 
true garden of God they are quickly brought 
back; with good courage they force their way 
through all the things in which they cannot 
truly and clearly find God, and they always 
shun everything through which God could not 
find an entry into the very ground of their 
hearts. Therefore, however feebly and faintly 
man may cling to the life of faith, yet he will 
be preserved, if he be otherwise found faithful, 
at the last, and would enter into the Kingdom 
of Heaven; and, even though he were long 
delayed, yet he would be on the road to Eternal 
Life. Still, it is quite possible for such men to fall 
_ away into great and grievous sin, because they 
use ways and means of coming to themselves, that 


CHURCH DEDICATION 315 


are very dangerous and unsafe; and therefore 
they are constantly dwelling in outward things, 
and become vain, empty, dry, cold, lukewarm, 
and so strange and unlike themselves, that they 
are much to be pitied in the sight of God. 
But living men, who truly live the life of truth, 
are conscious of this life within; they know the 
Inner* Life and Truth of God, so that all that is 
divine which can befall these Friends of God, 
awakens this Inner Life, with earnest longings, 
and fervent Divine Love and delight, in the 
dearly loved Will of God. Now all this means 
simply, that these men are dwelling in the Inner 
Kingdom of God; they are partakers of the 
hidden Sweetness of God, which is concealed, 
and must be concealed, from all those who have 
never truly entered into this Inner Kingdom. 
Therefore, the second thing is the true and 
right confession of God which is found in this 
Kingdom. It need not be sought afar; it is to 
be found in this Kingdom, and reveals itself there. 
This Light shines therein, and there man truly 
comes into the Inner Kingdom, through Jesus 
Christ, Who is the true and rightful Door of 
entrance, through which men must enter if they 
are to come to perfection. Thus the saying 
may truly be used of them: “The Kingdom of 
God is within you.” 1 Here that pure and real 
Truth is to be found, which is unknown to all 
men who do not rest on this foundation, and 
who do not keep themselves free and apart from 
all creatures in whom God is not all in all. 
1 Luke xvii. 21. 


316 THE INNER WAY) 


Here they find with their understanding that of 
which St Dionysius wrote and spoke: ‘* What 
is there that is above all reason, and all thought 
and all understanding? The finding of light in 
Light.”’ 

Now, dear children, the Masters in Paris read 
their big books diligently, and turn over the 
leaves; and all this is very good; but these other 
men read the true and living Book, wherein all 
things live. They turn over the Heaven and 
earth and read therein the surpassing wonders of 
God. They are before the holy, dear and 
exalted Angels of God in judgment ; and there- 
fore they first apprehend the highest Mission of 
the Holy and Exalted Trinity: How God the 
Father begat and is begetting His Son Jesus 
Christ throughout eternity ; and how the Eternal 
Word, in God the Father, eternally reflects 
His Father’s Heart; and how God the Holy 
Ghost proceeds eternally from the Father and 
the Son ; and: how the Holy Blessed ‘Trinity pour 
Themselves forth on all Their chosen ones 
through time and eternity ; and how again They 
enjoy in Themselves real and eternal blessedness. 
This is that blessedness of which Jesus Christ, 
the Son of God has said : ‘* Now this is Eternal 
Life: that they may know Thee, the only true 
God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent.”’ ! 
Children, this is the true Life in the Inner Temple 
of God; and it is the noble, pure and true prize 
which is set before all the elect Friends of God. 
There is the High-Priest in his holy blessed 


lJohn xvii. 3. 


CHURCH DEDICATION 317 


Temple, there is the true, pure Presence of God, 
in Whom all things live and move, and there all 
suffering is done away. 

The man who truly experiences all ‘this, 
knows well that there can be no doubt about it. 
All knowledge of it is quite unknown and 
concealed from the learned teachers of this 
world; but the chosen men of God have a full 
and clear knowledge and understanding of it. 
Therefore the man who learns most about it in 
this life, and who comes closest to this foundation, 
will be nearest to God in eternal life, and there 
will chiefly be found; while all such men will 
be the most blessed. The third thing mentioned 
by this holy man is devout prayer. This is the 
uplifting of the mind to God in eternal life, but 
in another sense. This prayer is the entrance 
into union of the created spirit with the uncreated 
Spirit of God, and is the result of a. design 
formed by the holy Godhead throughout eternity. 
These men are the true worshippers of God, who 
worship God the Father in spirit and in truth. 
This true worship is unceasingly demanded of 
all men by the Heavenly Father, as Jesus Christ 
said: ‘*’ These are the true worshippers. They 
also receive that which they ask of the Heavenly 
Father, and they always find that which they 
seek and desire in their prayers, for their prayers 
are found and lost.’”? The temple is lost here 
and the spirit, and all that of which we have 
been speaking. Now, how has all this been 
brought about? All has been poured forth into 
God and has become one spirit with God; as 


318 ‘THE INNER WAY > 


St Paul says: “He who is joined to the Lord 
is one spirit.””!_ What that is and how it comes 
to pass, it is easier to experience than to describe. 
All that has been said of it is as poor and unlike 
it as the point of a needle is to the heavens above. 
That we may all follow after this in a life of 
humility, may God help us. Amen. 


Three thoughtful Instructions and some useful 
Advice on Confession 


INSTRUCTION I 


The first Instruction teaches us to confess, simply 
and sincerely, and to search out the very depths of 
our hearts. 


EAR children, I counsel, admonish and 
beseech you, that ye learn to confess all 

your sins, simply and sincerely unto God, and 
that ye learn to acknowledge that ye are verily 
and indeed guilty before Him, and that ye ponder 
over your sins in deep sorrow. Do not set your- 
selves to make a long outward. confession ; for 
that is of little use, and takes up the valuable 
time of the Confessors, causing them much trouble 
and vexation. Children, much talking does not 
do away. with sin; and, as I haye often said 
before, Confessors haye no power oyer sin. 
Commune with your own hearts, and there con- 
fess your sins; for external, without internal 
confession, is of little avail in those things which 


ly Cor. v. 17. 


INSTRUCTIONS 319 


are not sins unto death ; and it is a sign that he 
who thus confesses neglects that which is within. 
For, where truth is to be found within, events 
may even be so far forgotten, that it often be- 
comes impossible to say anything very definite 
about them; and we shall be best helped by 
leaving all to God. I am now referring to 
daily sins; from sins unto death may God pre- 
serve us! 

Now, children, it is very necessary that we 
should thus practise self-examination; for man 
has many a little nook within, which covers up 
the ground of the heart, and is so overgrown, 
that it hides the truth from the man himself ; 
so that, though he knows many other things, he 
does not really know himself. These sins 
surely resemble thirty or forty skins or hides, 
like those of an ox, which cover up the ground, 
lying one upon another, and so thick and hard 
that ye can neither confess them nor rid yourselves 
of them as ye imagine. What are these skins? 
They are all those things that thou hast in thy- 
self, that thou thinkest of, and that thou usest, 
but of which God is neither the true beginning 
nor the end. They are all idols, images of 
things, such as self-will, self-pleasing, and the 
enjoyment of things pertaining to the senses. 
Man clings to these, as Rachel did to her idols 
when she sat upon them. Presumption, heed- 
lessness, want of resignation in divine things, 
all these sins help to form the skins. They 
should not be all confessed outwardly, but man 
should examine his own heart about them, and 


320 THE INNER WAY 


acknowledge them humbly before God, meekly 
falling down in self-abasement at His Feet. If 
man will only thus fully acknowledge that he is 
guilty, all will be well with him; that is, if he 
seeks diligently to turn away from them, as far 
as he is able, with the help of Almighty God. 


INSTRUCTION II 


The second Instruction gives a short Form for the 
common Confession of Monks or Nuns, and shows 
how they may be absolved. 


Now we may generally confess our daily sins 
in these words : 

“IT am guilty, for I have sinned by foolish 
thoughts during the seven Hours and in my 
prayers, when I ought to have occupied myself 
with good thoughts, but which have been spoilt 
by my indolence. I have broken the silence 
with useless words, at times and in places where 
talking was forbidden. I am guilty of scornful, 
hasty, unwise words and deeds, of untrue and 
unkind words, of indolence towards myself and 
towards God, my Order, my Choir, my Rules, 
and of disobedience and unthankfulness. I do 
not love and praise God as I ought; I do not 
attend to His warnings; I do not set my Brother 
a good example as I ought, in poverty, chastity 
and obedience. I have not kept all the vows 
I made to God and to my Order. Of these 
and many other things I confess I am guilty.” 

Then ye may ask for absolution, and may 
think and say : 


INSTRUCTIONS 321 


“‘ Dear Lord, if I could do it and were free, 
I would seek for absolution, and fetch it, even 
through frost and snow, through cold and wet. 
Dear Lord, because I can do nothing more, I 
beseech thee to give me absolution as thy gift of 
charity, and to make me a partaker in all the 
good exercises that have taken place in the 
House of God, and in all the earth; and that 
Thou wilt absolve me from all my sins, through 
thy Divine and Sacred Wounds, whence all 
grace flows.” 

This thou mayest ask for in firm and strong 
faith and trust in God; and this will be such a 
blessing to thee that hereafter thou wilt be able 
to judge all the world. May we all thus learn 
to know God, and diligently search out our own 
hearts by the help of God. Amen. 


INSTRUCTION III 


The third Instruction shows man how he must 
take as his Example, the peculiar Attributes and 
Names assigned to God, and to His Divine Being; 
and how, on the other hand, he must bear his own 
nothingness, and then contemplate the unknown 
wastes and deserts of the Divine Attributes in quiet 
seclusion. 


BECAUSE God is a Pure Being and a Waste 

of calm seclusion, as Moses said: ‘ Hear, 
O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord,” ! yea 
One God, even One God Only, still, some of 
the special Attributes and divers Names that 


1 Deut. vi. 4. 


322 THE INNER WAY 


we assign to Him may serve as an example to 
us, while we compare our nothingness with Him. 
For, as I have often said, man is apt to think of 
all things in an earthly way, of our dear Lord’s 
Birth, His Life, His Works and Ways. There- 
fore we must lift up our minds, and learn to soar 
far above time, in the Eternal Works of the Divine 
Being. Now man may reflect on these attributes 
in his mind in a very real way, so that he will 
be able to see that God is a Pure Being, that all 
beings are one, and yet that He is none of all 
these things. In all things that exist, in all that 
is and has any being, there is God. St 
Augustine says: ‘“‘If thou seest a good man, a 
good Angel, a good Heaven, take away the man, 
take away the Angel, and take away the Heaven, 
and then that which remains is the Essence of 
Goodness, that is God; for He is in all things 
and yet far above all things.”’ All creatures, 
indeed, have some goodness and love; but they 
are neither goodness nor love, but God only is 
the Essence of Goodness, of Love and of all that 
can be named. Man must compare himself with 
God, and then sink down with all his powers, 
with an intense and earnest gaze, that he may 
receive and renew his own nothingness, and be 
united with the Divine Being, Who only is the 
Life, the Soul and the Essence of all things. 
Man must consider the attribute of this Oneness 
of being ; for God is the End of all unity, and in 
Him all diversities are united, and become one in 
the One Only Being. His Being is His work, His 
knowledge, His love, His reward, His mercy 


INSTRUCTIONS — 323 


and His righteousness, all are one; therefore go, 
and carry thereto all thy diversities which are so 
great and so incomprehensible, that all may be 
made one in the Oneness of His Being. 

Man should also consider God as one who 
hides Himself; for He is known in all things, 
as Isaiah saith: “Verily, thou art a hidden 
God.” He is much nearer than anything is 
to itself in the depths of the heart, hidden from 
all our senses and unknown in that heart, into 
which He forces His way with all His might; 
as far above all thy outward thoughts, which are 
as far from themselves and from thy inner life, 
as a beast which lives according to its nature, 
neither knowing, tasting or experiencing any- 
thing. Hide thyself in this secret place from 
all creatures, and from all that is strange to and 
unlike that Being. This must not be done in a 
figurative or imaginary way, but in very deed, 
with all our strength and desire, in a way which 
we cannot understand with our natural senses. 

Then man must look upon the desire of the 
Divine attributes in a quiet solitude, where no 
word is really spoken. All there is so still and 
mysterious and so desolate ; for there is nothing 
there but God only, and nothing strange. Neither 
creature, nor image, nor fancy has ever entered 
there. This Wilderness was referred to by our 
Lord, when He spake by the prophet Joel 
(Hosea) : “I will allure her and lead her into 
the Wilderness, and I will speak to her heart.” 2 
This Wilderness is the quiet Desert of the God- 


es xiwir x5: ? Hosea ii. 14. 


324 THE INNER WAY | 


head, into which He leads all who are to receive 
this inspiration of God, now or in eternity. Bear 
thy foolish and barren heart into the Wilderness 
of the calm and living Godhead, thy heart 
which is so full of overgrown weeds, bare of 
all things good, and full of the wild beasts of 
thy animal nature. Then look upon the Divine 
Darkness, which is dark from its surpassing 
brightness to the comprehension of men and of 
Angels, as the shining of the sun on his course 
is as darkness to weak eyes. For all created 
minds compared with the brightness of nature 
are like the eyes of nightingales or swallows, in 
the bright sunlight. Men must cast down their 
eyes in their ignorance and blindness, because 
they are created beings. Bear thereto thine own 
deep darkness, robbed of all true light, and let 
the Abyss of the Divine Darkness only be 
acknowledged, while all other things remain un- 
known. The Abyss, which is unknown and 
has no name, is Salvation ; and it is more beloved 
and entices more souls than all that they can 
know of Eternal Salvation in the Divine Being. 
May God bring us to this Salvation! Amen. 


TURNBULL AND SPEARS, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH 


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